Michael D Higgins Halts O’Meara Presidential Hopes

Michael D. Higgins has won his party’s nomination to contest the Presidential Election, defeating Fergus Finlay and Kathleen O’Meara, at a Labour Party convention in Dublin this afternoon.

Some 52 TDs, senators and MEPS were joined by 14 members of the Labour Party’s executive council for this afternoons selection process which ended with Mr Michael D Higgins polling 37 votes, compared to 18 votes for Mr Fergus Finlay and just seven votes for Nenagh, Co Tipperary native, Ms Kathleen O’Meara.

Addressing the assembled press gathering this afternoon, Labour Leader and Tanaiste, Mr Eamon Gilmore stated that the forthcoming Presidential Election campaign will not be a competition between political parties, rather it will be a campaign between the candidates and the people who elect.

The next Irish presidential election is due to take place in October 2011, unless the incumbent President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, elected in 1997, vacates the office prematurely. Presidential elections are conducted under the Presidential Elections Act 1993, as amended.

Constitutionally, the election must be held not more than 60 days before the ending of the term of office of the present incumbent, or within 60 days of the office becoming vacant.

The exact date will be fixed by an order made by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan, TD.

Personally, I believe we should invite the present incumbent, President Mary McAleese, to remain in office on a yearly contract, until such time as we have ‘gambled,’ our way out of our present financial difficulties. To be fair she has been one of the few Irish Public Representatives who have done this country proud, during her period in office.

But then that’s Irish Governance, we wave legal contracts and remove those who perform, while allowing the creeps, the snake-oil salesmen and spoof’s to sit in positions of power.

But then again, just for once, maybe we should inform those we elected, that we would like them to follow our democratic wishes. Let’s change the terms of the Presidential Contract, what we have is proven successful and will be cheaper to implement.