Three people are now seeking election to the prestigious post of president of the Medical Council, the body which regulates the medical profession and adjudicates on complaints against doctors.
Those running include the present holder of the position, consultant psychiatrist Dr John Hillery, the present vice-president of the council Dr Colm Quigley, and Dr Conor O'Keane, a pathologist at Dublin's Mater Hospital. It was decided when the present 25-member council was selected 2½ years ago that the officers it elected as its president, vice-president and so on would have their positions reviewed half-way through the council's five-year term. That time has now arrived and nominations for fresh internal elections to these positions closed at 5pm yesterday.
At that stage it was clear that, apart from three doctors being in the running for president, there will also be a competition for vice-president and for chairmanship of the council's six committees, including its ethics and fitness to practise committees.
The elections will be held at the council's next scheduled meeting on October 18th.
Insiders say the reason there is a competition for president is because there is an attempt to oust Dr Hillery from the position, given his alleged reluctance to speak out against plans by Minister for Health Mary Harney to have a lay majority on the Medical Council as proposed under a new Medical Practitioners Act.
However, council member Dr Asam Ishtiaq, who is running for vice-president, said last evening the mid-term elections should not be viewed as "an upheaval or a coup d'etat".
He said the timing of the elections was very important.