Editorial: Debate of issues in Presidential race essential
Today is the deadline for nominations to run in the Presidential Election. At the time of going to print yesterday, Independent candidates Dana Rosemary Scallon and David Norris were both in last ditch efforts with local authorities in an attempt to secure the required backing of four local authorities.
Cavan was due, last night, to consider a motion proposing the nomination of Dana for the presidency and it was believed at the time of going to print that this motion would be defeated by the Fine Gael party.
The party made it impossible - by virtue of its stance on defeating two separate motions proposing Cavan native Sean Gallagher as a candidate - to support any other independent candidate.
As the party whip Andrew Boylan put it on the second occasion that Fine Gael voted against Gallagher's nomination - to abstain on the vote would be tantamount to abandoning their own candidate Gay Mitchell. The party was not prepared, as a result, to facilitate any other candidate to get on the ballot paper.
This was a bit rich given that the party (and other parties besides) have long since proclaimed that they put party politics aside in the interests of the county.
If Fine Gael could not support Cavan's own Sean Gallagher, how then could the party support Dana.
Now that the nominations are in - the five confirmed candidates are Michael D Higgins (Labour), Gay Mitchell (Fine Gael), Mary Davis (Ind), Martin McGuinness (SF), Sean Gallagher (Ind) with Dana and Norris expected to make today's deadline.
Can we not at last have a good debate about the issues at hand - rather than mud slinging at candidates and in-party fighting over nominations?
Yes it's important to have detailed profiles of all candidates (including what they're earning in terms of MEP salaries or pensions where appropriate and whether or not they're prepared to give them up if they secure the presidency). But what do these candidates stand for and what are the issues on which they will be campaigning?
The election date of October 27 is looming and the electorate has an important choice to make.
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