A PRESIDENTIAL election will be held in late October and the field of candidates is taking shape. Nominations will not close until next month but, in the meantime, citizens should pay close attention to those individuals who have expressed an interest and in the various agendas they are promoting. A general debate on community values, civil rights, social responsibilities, Ireland’s place in the world and the kind of society that should emerge from this recession could usefully inform the public and the political agenda.
The role of president is tightly circumscribed. There are no executive powers and, once elected, speeches can be made only with the approval of government. In spite of that, President Mary McAleese and her predecessor Mary Robinson worked hard to develop the image of an accessible, caring institution that encouraged community initiatives and high ethical standards. President McAleese actively supported the peace process in Northern Ireland and reached out to the unionist community. She sought to heal old divisions, hosting the first visit by a British monarch since the foundation of the State and attending services at home and abroad for Ireland’s first World War dead.
Committing to a presidential election campaign is not for the faint-hearted. The office may be above politics, but the road that leads there is hedged in by party in-fighting, conspiracies and character assassination. The last contested election, in 1997, brought internal trauma to Fianna Fáil when Mrs McAleese defeated former taoiseach Albert Reynolds for the nomination. This time, an attempt by the Fine Gael leadership to promote Pat Cox as a candidate failed when Gay Mitchell rallied Oireachtas members. Support for Michael D Higgins within the parliamentary Labour Party saw off Fergus Finlay. Letters written by David Norris in support of a statutory rapist put an end to his ambitions. And the election is still more than two months away.
At the moment, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is awaiting a response to his overtures from Gay Byrne, even as senior party figures such as Éamon Ó Cuív and Brian Crowley take umbrage at being ignored. Byrne is a popular, avuncular figure because of his long years as a broadcaster and talk show host. But his populist outburst against “mad people in Brussels”, at a time when Ireland is dependent on EU funding and support, may raise questions for some about his suitability for the job or his appetite for the contest.
Meanwhile, Independent candidates Seán Gallagher and Mary Davis continue their campaigns to secure four council nominations. Dana Rosemary Scallon is also said to be interested.
Ireland is one of very few countries that elects a head of state directly. Thirteen years ago the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution recommended that a petition by 10,000 citizens or nomination by 10, rather than 20, Oireachtas members should be sufficient to validate a candidate. The sooner those changes are made and the nomination process opened up, the better.