FINE GAEL is to decide next week whether to admit former European Parliament president Pat Cox to membership, thereby allowing him to seek the party’s nomination for the presidential election later this year.
The approval of the party’s executive council is required because Mr Cox was formerly a member of another political party, a Fine Gael spokeswoman confirmed yesterday.
He is a former Progressive Democrat and also ran for Fianna Fáil unsuccessfully in the 1979 local elections.
Mr Cox issued a short statement yesterday confirming that he had applied for membership of the St Luke’s branch of Fine Gael in his home constituency of Cork North Central.
He has also written to Fine Gael generally secretary Tom Curran, seeking the approval of the executive council, which meets next Tuesday.
Under party rules, anyone who has stood as a candidate for the Dáil or the European Parliament “other than as a Fine Gael candidate” requires the written approval of the council.
The statement made no reference to the presidency and Mr Cox, who is abroad at present, said he would not be commenting further until Fine Gael had decided on his application.
He had served three terms as an MEP for Munster, first with the PDs and later as an independent. In 2002, he was elected president of the European Parliament.
His potential party rivals for the nomination said yesterday they had no problem with Mr Cox joining the party but added that his candidature would have no influence on their own stance.
MEP Gay Mitchell said he was still reflecting on whether he would run or not but would make a decision by the end of the week.
He said he had “no difficulty with anyone joining Fine Gael”.
“I’ve been a member of the party since I was 16 and an elected public representative since I was 27 and I’m not going to comment on the candidature of others.”
Mr Mitchell, who last year ruled himself out of the contest but has expressed an interest again after former leader John Bruton ruled himself out, said he was surprised by the number of colleagues who wanted him to stand.
Another MEP, Mairéad McGuinness, said she had written again to party colleagues reaffirming her determination to contest the nomination.
She said she had “no problem” with Mr Cox joining the party at this stage but called on Fine Gael to make a decision in a “timely” fashion.
“Our candidate needs to be up and running as soon as possible. People want to talk to a candidate, not a potential candidate.”
Meanwhile, US-based Irish journalist and publisher Niall O’Dowd has promised to be “the best travelling salesman Ireland ever had” if elected as president.
Confirming his interest in the position, Mr O’Dowd said he planned to declare as soon as a “significant number of people” provided assurances of their support.
He said a group of people had approached him to during the recent visit to Ireland of US president Barack Obama. They felt he could have a contribution to make and there was support for an independent candidate who would deal with the Irish worldwide.
Mr O’Dowd declined to name his backers but said if he did decide to run, it would be very clear who was supporting him.
Fine Gael Minister of State Fergus O’Dowd said his brother was a “shining light” with a lifelong record of caring for the diaspora and would make a “fantastic president”.
He said he would be delighted if his brother was to be a Fine Gael candidate but added that it was up to the party to decide this.
