The Progressive Democrats' troubles increased last night as Mr Michael McDowell said he will cease to be a party member next March. Mr McDowell told The Irish Times yesterday he had "no political plans" but did not unequivocally rule out any future role in politics. He has said on a number of occasions, however, that he wants to return to private life.
His decision will come as a further blow to the party, which is still coming to terms with last June's disastrous general election result that left it with just four Dail seats.
Sources close to the PD leadership said yesterday the party was anxious that he remain a member. However, Mr McDowell was adamant last night that he was leaving. He will be replaced as a trustee of the party next month.
There has been tension between Mr McDowell and his party leader, Ms Mary Harney, in recent weeks, over his opposition to the Government proposal on Cabinet confidentiality and to the PD-endorsed presidential candidate, Ms Mary McAleese. His decision to resign was taken before both these controversies erupted, however.
Mr McDowell said yesterday he had cancelled a letter of immediate resignation earlier this month at the request of Ms Harney. "She said that a rapid departure would damage the party," he said. Mr McDowell said he had wanted to resign from the party as soon as he lost his seat in the June general election. However, he agreed to "leave slowly", with no publicity attached, at Ms Harney's request. His party membership expires on March 31st next, and he will not renew it at that date, he said.
He was critical of the leaking of what he said was a distorted version of the situation to the Exam- iner newspaper yesterday. "Whoever leaked this did it with the desire of doing me considerable damage." The position was that he had resigned as a trustee of the party but had agreed to put a more "media-friendly" gloss on this by saying that Ms Harney and he had agreed that he would be replaced as a trustee in November.
He had wanted no publicity but whoever had leaked this "has done what they have done . . . I have stayed my hand at their request and find it surprising that I got bitten as a result".
Speculation in political circles that Mr McDowell might be interested in a judicial appointment at this time was dismissed by sources close to him.