FINE GAEL MEP Gay Mitchell has suggested former European Parliament president Pat Cox would have difficulty securing support from sections of the electorate in the presidential election.
Both Mr Mitchell and Mr Cox are seeking the Fine Gael nomination to contest the election, along with another of the party’s MEPs Mairead McGuinness.
Mr Mitchell yesterday said Mr Cox, who recently applied for membership of Fine Gael, had been a member of Fianna Fáil and left, so he did not think that party supporters would vote for him.
“He was in the PDs, he left them, they won’t vote for him. He then became an Independent, and he is now asking Fine Gael people to support him.”
He said he did not think that was what the party wanted now.
Speaking on the RTÉ Radio One’s This Week, Mr Mitchell said anybody could join Fine Gael because it was an open party.
“Fine Gael is run and decisions are made, not by any individuals. They are made by the parliamentary party, the national executive and the councillors. They are the bosses.”
Mr Mitchell claimed there was nobody currently active in politics who had more experience in politics than he had. He also stressed his domestic experience, and said he represented one of the poorest constituencies for 26 years.
Mr Cox has said he will not make further comment on the matter pending a decision of the executive council of Fine Gael tomorrow evening.
He has written to the St Luke’s branch of Fine Gael in the Cork North Central constituency and also to party general secretary Tom Curran seeking the approval of the party’s executive council for his membership application.
Meanwhile, asked about Ms McGuinness, Mr Mitchell said: “Mairead is a very fine person and I work with her all the time, and maybe there is a case for a woman president.”
Independent Senator David Norris will today address three councils: Wexford County at 2pm, Carlow County at 3:45pm and Waterford City at 6pm.
Also seeking nominations are Special Olympics chief Mary Davis; Niall O’Dowd, a New York-based Irish journalist and publisher; and Dragon’s Den judge Sean Gallagher.
Labour will decide on its candidate at the weekend.
In the running are party president and former TD Michael D Higgins; former party special adviser and chief executive of children’s charity Barnardos Fergus Finlay; and former party senator Kathleen O’Meara.