Bertie Ahern is clearly setting his sights on bringing the Progressive Democrats and Independents such as Tony Gregory and Finian McGrath on board to form a new government, following FF’s stunning victory.
He will also need Jackie Healy Rae, but that is hardly beyond Mr Ahern’s skills, if all of them are prepared to sign up to a five year deal. Beverley Flynn, newly re-installed as a TD for Mayo, should be agreeable, as well.
And the Progressive Democrats are hardly in much of a position to argue given the hammering that they have received. Indeed, it would give the party some chance to rebuild and put Mary Harney back in Health.
Now all he needs is a Ceann Comhairle from the Opposition benches. Since one assumes that Michael Lowry would not be considered for the job, one wonders if anyone on the Labour benches might be interested?
Brian Cowen’s ever-increasing influence will be interesting to watch, given the Taoiseach’s repeated references to him on RTE Six One News on Saturday night, http://www.rte.ie/news/6news/
Cowen, he said, was his friend and he would not do anything without consulting him. Since Mr Ahern rarely says much without advance thought, there is method to his actions. Why would such a comment be deemed necessary now?
The Offalyman is inherently loyal. Indeed, it is his defining trait, and he has no intention of doing anything to Mr Ahern – having made it clear before polling day that Mr Ahern would stay as FF leader for as long as he wanted.
Earlier, Cowen had delivered a broadside across the Greens’ bows by making it clear – in the face of Trevor Sargent’s demand for a clean-up of political donations and planning issues – that he did not need anyone to keep him straight.
However, the coalition negotiations have not yet even started. The coming days will see a lot of political theatre. Some of it will be real, some of it will be position-making. All of it is to be watched cautiously.
ends