Cowen set to be invited to Olympics opening ceremony

CHINA:THE LEADER designate of Fianna Fáil, Brian Cowen, is to be invited to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in the coming weeks.

Invitations have already been sent to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and to President Mary McAleese, but both declined.

Mr Ahern did so on the basis that he was scheduled to go to China just three weeks after the games ended while President McAleese declined to attend because of personal engagements.

The invitation to the Taoiseach was passed on to the Minister for Sport, Seamus Brennan. His spokesman said no decision had been made whether he, or any potential successor, would be going, but the issue might be discussed at Cabinet.

The spokesman said it was traditional for taoisigh not to attend opening ceremonies, instead delegating that role to ministers for sport. John O'Donoghue and Jim McDaid attended the last two games openings.

Olympic Council of Ireland spokesman Jack McGouran said the invitation would be spent to Mr Cowen when he became taoiseach as a matter of protocol.

To date, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and Czech president Vaclav Klaus have all confirmed they will not be attending the opening ceremony.

The Government is likely to come under further pressure not to send a representative to the opening ceremony. Fine Gael front bench spokesman Simon Coveney said that Irish athletes should not be pressurised into boycotting the opening ceremony, but if there was a boycott it should only come from politicians.