The Candidate Exits from Ireland's Election Campaign
In a surprising turn of events, a key leading candidates in the Irish race for president has withdrawn from the race, reshaping the political landscape.
Sudden Exit Transforms Election Dynamics
The party's Jim Gavin stepped down on Sunday night following reports about an outstanding payment to a former tenant, transforming the race into an volatile two-horse race between a center-right ex-minister and an autonomous progressive member of parliament.
Gavin, 54, a inexperienced candidate who was parachuted into the campaign after careers in sport, aviation and the military, stepped aside after it emerged he had neglected to refund a overpaid rent of €3,300 when he was a lessor about 16 years ago, during a period of financial difficulty.
"I made a mistake that was contrary to who I am and the standards I set myself. Corrective actions are underway," he stated. "After careful consideration, regarding the possible effects of the continuing election battle on the welfare of my relatives and acquaintances.
"After evaluating everything, I've chosen to exit from the campaign for president with right away and rejoin my loved ones."
Race Narrowed to Two Main Contenders
The biggest shock in a political contest in modern times reduced the field to one candidate, a former cabinet minister who is representing the incumbent center-right political party Fine Gael, and Catherine Connolly, an vocal advocate for Palestine who is supported by a political party and small leftwing opposition parties.
Crisis for Leadership
This departure also caused a problem for the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, who had staked his authority by selecting an unproven contender over the doubts of fellow members.
Martin said Gavin did not want to "cause dispute" to the office of president and was correct to step down. "Jim has accepted that he committed a mistake in relation to an matter that has arisen in recent days."
Campaign Struggles
Although known for skill and accomplishments in business and sport – under his leadership Dublin's Gaelic football team to five consecutive championship victories – his election effort faltered through missteps that left him trailing in an public opinion measure even ahead of the debt news.
Fianna Fáil figures who had been against choosing the candidate said the situation was a "serious miscalculation" that would have "consequences" – a thinly veiled warning to the leader.
Ballot Process
His name may remain on the ballot in the poll taking place in late October, which will finish the long service of President Higgins, but voters now face a two options between a centrist establishment candidate and an independent leftwinger. Opinion research conducted ahead of his departure gave Connolly 32% support and Humphreys nearly a quarter, with the former candidate at 15 percent.
Under electoral rules, voters select candidates in order of preference. If no candidate exceeds 50% on the first count, the hopeful with the fewest initial choices is removed and their support is passed to the next preference.
Likely Support Redistribution
Observers anticipated that in the event of his exclusion, the bulk of his support would transfer to Humphreys, and conversely, boosting the chance that a mainstream contender would attain the presidency for the allied parties.
Presidential Duties
This office is a primarily ceremonial position but Higgins and his predecessors transformed it into a venue for worldwide concerns.
Surviving Hopefuls
Connolly, 68, from her home city, would bring a strong leftwing voice to that heritage. Connolly has attacked neoliberal economics and said the group represents "part of the fabric" of the Palestinian people. She has accused NATO of promoting military solutions and equated Germany's increased defence spending to the 1930s, when Adolf Hitler rearmed the country.
Humphreys, 62, has encountered examination over her time in office in cabinets that oversaw a housing crisis. As a Protestant from the border county of Monaghan, she has also been questioned about her lack of Irish language skills but stated her faith tradition could aid in securing Northern Ireland's unionists in a combined country.
