Madam, - Bertie Ahern's statement to the Dáil that people who aspire to challenge for the presidency are on "an ego trip" is unworthy of him.
The essence of democracy is that people put themselves forward for public office. To have the most powerful politician in the country deprecating this fact displays a lack of judgment as to the nature of democracy.
All governments spend vast sums of taxpayers' money publicising themselves in the media and showing their actions in a good light. If this is a legitimate part of the democratic process, who is to fault more lowly politicians using the same media to put put forward their legitimate claims to be candidates for the presidency? - Yours, etc.,
A. LEAVY, Shielmartin Drive, Sutton, Dublin 13.
Madam, - There has been much discussion about the difficulty of becoming a candidate for the presidency. I, a member of the Humanist Association of Ireland, would face not a difficulty but, in practice, a total impossibility as I would be required by the Constitution, if elected, to make a public declaration beginning with the words: "In the presence of Almighty God . . ."
This would be impossible for me to do with any honesty. So, while undoubtedly facing some obstacles, a representative of the religious right is in fact more favourably treated by the constitution in this regard. - Yours, etc.,
BRENDAN SHEERAN, Killiney, Co Dublin.