Senior figures in the Progressive Democrats have begun an attempt to reach agreement among their TDs and Senators to back a single candidate for the party leadership after Mary Harney's surprise announcement yesterday that she will quit the post.
Several party sources said last night that a contest could damage the party and even destabilise the Government. There was serious concern within Fianna Fáil over the effect the change of leadership would have on the Coalition, with the Taoiseach saying he wanted a commitment from the new leader that the Government would run its full term.
Michael McDowell was seen as the early front-runner last night to become the next leader, either unopposed or by an electoral college in which the parliamentary party, the party membership, elected office holders within the party and local authority members all have a say.
Mr McDowell said last night that he would make his intentions known in the "relatively near future", but is seen as certain to run. Some party figures were last night urging former minister of state Liz O'Donnell to run against him, but she said she would not state her intentions at this stage. Another possible contender, Minister of State Tom Parlon, said he would "reflect on it over the next 24 hours" before deciding.
Mr Parlon told The Irish Times he would prefer if an agreed candidate emerged rather than having a contest. "It would be an ideal situation if we had a consensus in the next 24 hours. In an ideal situation we will reach a consensus and move on quickly." His view was echoed privately by another member of the PD parliamentary party and by several party officials who fear a divisive and bitter contest.
They saw the publicity last June over Michael McDowell's push for Ms Harney to step aside as leader as damaging to Mr McDowell himself but also to the party. The most successful female politician in the history of the State, Ms Harney has been PD leader for 13 years and Tánaiste for nine.
Announcing her decision yesterday, Ms Harney said she was not leaving as a result of any pressure. She said that last June she had been persuaded by colleagues to stay on despite her wish to quit. "In June I made the wrong decision for the wrong reasons," she said.
However, on her holidays she had reflected on the matter, discussed it with her husband and decided "that now is the right time for the PDs to choose a new leader and now is the time for me to vacate that position".
She insisted she had not consulted with any of her colleagues before her announcement, which seemed to come as a major surprise to her fellow TDs and Senators. She told her colleagues only at a parliamentary party meeting yesterday afternoon, going straight from there to a press conference to announce her decision.
She said she was willing to remain as Minister for Health, and that not having the leadership would allow her devote herself more fully to the job. However, it was up to the next leader, together with the Taoiseach, to decide who would be in Cabinet.
Mr McDowell last night cancelled a planned trip to New York and Washington, ensuring he will be in the country should an election contest get under way.
The party chairman, John Dardis, said yesterday that nominations will close at noon next Monday, giving less than four days for possible candidates to make up their minds.
The Taoiseach said yesterday evening he expected the next PD leader to deliver the same commitment to stable, full-term Government as Mary Harney. "If I did receive that commitment it's business as usual," he said.
"If I didn't, well, then it would be a different position. But one way or another I will lead a Government into the next election," he said.
This was seen as a suggestion that should a new PD leader decide to pull his or her party out of Government in advance of next summer's election, he would seek to continue in Government, possibly with the support of Independents.