The Labour Party nominee for the Presidency, Ms Adi Roche, has said she would "love to think that Ireland will go forward into the next millennium with our neutrality intact". This tradition of neutrality had been handed down "from generation to generation" and she hoped Ireland would retain an independent foreign policy "with neutrality to the forefront of that". She added: "As long as neutrality is the will of the people, I will be there to support that."
Following her official nomination by the parliamentary Labour Party and the general council, Ms Roche attended a crowded press conference yesterday flanked by the party's leader, Mr Dick Spring, the Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, and her close friend and Green Party MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna.
There was sustained spontaneous applause when she denounced the idea of a "dirty" presidential campaign, saying she would have no act or part in any gossip or "anything negative" against another candidate. "No matter how dirty a game would get politically, I would not enter myself into that in any way, or support it."
There would be no contradiction between her role as president, as commander-in-chief of the Defence Forces and her CND perspective, Ms Roche said. In fact, she would absolutely welcome the position of commander-in-chief. "I don't think our own Army has any nuclear weapons that we know of. I would always see our Army in that tremendous role of being peace-makers, peace-keepers," she said.
Asked if she favoured another constitutional referendum on abortion, Ms Roche said this would be "dictated by the will of the people". Her role as president would involve listening to what the people were seeking.
"I would not be in the role of making political decisions as to whether there should be a referendum or not. There is an elected Dail who would be the ones to make the final decision. I would be the third House of the Oireachtas." Her role would be to judge if legislation should be tested constitutionally, which would be done in consultation with the Council of State.
She said she saw herself as the white part of the Tricolour, "which is the offering of peace", and she could act as the embodiment of the green and orange tradition. "Obviously I would love to think I could be the president who could take us out of a century which has been full of pain and suffering for the people of Northern Ireland and into a millennium whereby they could finally rest in peace and in harmony and in coexistence. I would hope to be able to encourage the dialogue to make that happen," she added.
Promising to be a "people's president" who would ensure Aras an Uachtarain would be "a real, live safe haven", Ms Roche said she had never aligned herself with any political party. When she went to the doorsteps, she would appeal to a broad spectrum of political opinion.
In office, she could be "above the political process" and would not be influenced by any party, she said. Describing herself as "a truly independent and free-thinking candidate", she said independence was part of the agreement negotiated with the coalition gathering around her campaign.
Mr Spring said her campaign would not be solely a Labour Party effort and all the parties sup porting her would contribute. Do nations would also be sought from outside the political system. A campaign fund was to be established which would be public and "all contributions will be declared".
He added that directors of election would be in place within a week and Ms Roche's schedule would be drawn up shortly.
Ms Roche said: "This is going to be a fun campaign."