SINN FÉIN:MARTIN McGUINNESS'S presidential campaign is being run independently of Sinn Féin, the party has confirmed.
Mr McGuinness’s campaign is being conducted under the banner of “The People’s President”, and publicity and communication material does not refer to Sinn Féin or carry its logo.
Fine Gael and Labour candidates Gay Mitchell and Michael D Higgins have also taken steps to separate their campaigns from their respective parties in an effort to broaden their appeal.
A Sinn Féin spokesman said yesterday the party candidate’s campaign was broad-based and his supporters included people who were not members of the party. The signatories of his nomination papers included Independent TDs.
“His campaign is open to people who are not Sinn Féin supporters but want to support his bid,” said the spokesman.
The spokesman said there was no question of distancing him from the Sinn Féin brand.
Mr McGuinness yesterday canvassed in Dublin city centre and in an interview said he stood for ordinary people and would reject the bulk of his salary to help take six young people off the dole.
He also said he would use his international standing for the benefit of the people, as well as continuing the work of President Mary McAleese and Senator Martin McAleese in opening up the Áras to unionist and loyalist people and to victims of the conflict.
Asked about the impact his past involvement with the IRA would have on his prospects, he replied that there were those with agendas against him. “I am very philosophical about all of it. That’s politics . . . I am open game for anybody who wants to attack me.”
He also said he would be willing to meet Queen Elizabeth as president. “Would I meet the Queen of England? Yes I would. Would I meet Prince Charles? [Yes]. That could be part of a healing process.”
When asked had he avoided giving full clarity of his views on an incident in 1990 where Patsy Gillespie was forced by the IRA to drive a car containing explosives to a Border checkpoint, resulting in his death and those of five soldiers, he responded: “I have answered it. I had nothing to do with it . . . I would like to think that I was a person who helped bring it [the conflict] all to an end.”
Pressed for his views on that particular incident, he said: “All death is terrible. I condemn the fact that far too many people lost their lives . . . that the community I came from was treated as second class citizens. We had conflict . . . I am heart-glad that it has come to an end; that I was involved in bringing it to an end.”