The presidential hopeful, Mr Derek Nally, is to seek legal advice today on the constitutionality of the imposition of a Fianna Fail whip preventing its county councillors from supporting his nomination. The founder of the Irish Association for Victim Support yesterday urged councillors to use their democratic right to vote for a presidential candidate of their choice and not to "allow themselves to be dictated to by Dublin".
He accused political parties of supporting younger women candidates in an attempt to replace Mrs Mary Robinson, but said he would continue lobbying councils across the State to secure his own candidacy.
"I hope that county councillors of all parties will decide to exercise their democratic right, so that they can improve their ability to do this in the future when they get the additional powers which they have been looking for for years," Mr Nally told The Irish Times.
Fianna Fail has confirmed that its councillors who supported Dana's nomination last week will be free to support her again, when asked to do so for a second time.
At the time Dana was seeking a nomination for the Presidency from county councils, Fianna Fail had not selected a candidate of its own.
However, the party whip will not be lifted in the case of county councillors wishing to support Mr Nally's nomination.
Mr Nally said of Fianna Fail's stance on the issue: "I think it flies in the face of what their candidate, Mary McAleese, is saying about an open and inclusive Presidency. Where is the openness and inclusiveness in trying to keep someone out?"
Mr Nally said his team would seek legal advice today as to whether it was unconstitutional for Fianna Fail to oppose his nomination.
Mr Nally said he would not "lie awake at night" if he did not win the Presidency. "My life will continue on, but I think that for anybody who felt that they had the chance of gaining the Presidency it is a tremendous opportunity.
"Maybe it is not fashionable to be over 50 years of age. I am 60 years of age, but I am still a very active, young and dynamic person, and I can certainly be as active as any President."
He added: "Mary Robinson was so successful that all the political parties decided that her successor had to have a certain profile - young, vibrant, female and everything else. That is apparently what they decided to do."
Last week the 13 Fianna Fail members of Galway County Council voted en bloc against a motion to nominate Mr Nally. Half the Fine Gael councillors did not attend the meeting, while two of those who did abstained. The motion was defeated 13-10.
Mr Nally said yesterday that he would continue to seek support for his nomination. He pointed to his work with the Irish Association for Victim Support, which had been responsible in part for the establishment of the European Forum for Victim Support.
"All of my experience would match, if not beat, that of some of the other candidates in the field," he said.