A bitter row has broken out between the Jimmy Harte organisation in Donegal North East and Fine Gael headquarters.
Mr Harte, a member of Donegal County Council and son of former long-serving Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte, is to contest the general election as an Independent.
The former chairman of the Fine Gael strategy committee in the constituency, Willie McCafferty, said: "After a lifetime of service to the Fine Gael party, 18 years as member of Donegal County Council, I see no point in remaining within the party."
He said that when appointed chairman of the strategy committee by party headquarters, the brief included the number of general election candidates to be chosen.
"The idea of the strategy committee was to seek consensus within the party. At all times, I was impartial to the contending candidates, but in hindsight I now realise this exercise was purely cosmetic.
"The decision was made before the committee was established that there would be only one candidate."
Mr McCafferty, a Milford-based businessman, claimed that the convention, which selected Senator Joe McHugh as the sole Fine Gael candidate in the constituency, was rigged. This prompted Mr Harte, who aspired to a nomination in a two-candidate strategy, to leave Fine Gael and run as an Independent.
However, in a statement, Fine Gael rejected Mr McCafferty's assertions.
"We regret the fact that Jimmy Harte has decided to resign from Fine Gael and run as an Independent in Donegal North East. To date, Fine Gael has held 39 out of 43 conventions in line with the party's democratic principles of one member, one vote," said the statement.
"A total of 550 members attended the convention in Donegal North East and selected Senator Joe McHugh as the candidate to contest the election. Cllr Jimmy Harte did not attend nor contest the convention."
Mr McCafferty said he had a meeting with Fine Gael general secretary Tom Curran, and Mr Harte had decided not to attend the convention when he heard details of what went on. Mr McCafferty said he had told Mr Curran that in his opinion, the convention looked to be rigged.
Denying that the convention had been rigged, Mr Curran yesterday reiterated the claim in the party's statement that it had been democratic.
"Mr McCafferty's comments are unfortunate. The convention, like all others, was run according to party rules. Proper procedures were followed," said Mr Curran.
