Sir, – Perhaps presidential hopefuls could be allowed to follow the GAA scoring pattern: combining county council nominations (eg, three points) with TDs’ nominations (eg, one point) in their attempts to reach the magic number of 20?
Pending proper electoral reform of our presidential electoral process might this be a more flexible use of our present cumbersome system? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I would like to thank Fintan O’Toole for writing one of the most important articles to appear in recent times, where he raised fundamental issues in relation to the candidacy in the presidential election of Martin McGuinness (Opinion, September 20th). On the Front page (September 21st) Stephen Collins and Mary Minihan state Mr McGuinness said that people in the media are the only ones discussing his IRA connections.
I would like to state clearly that many people outside the media are discussing this matter of great importance and never more so now that Mr McGuinness has declared his candidacy. Mr O’Toole has, with great clarity and insight, got to the core of the issue. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Would somebody of the presidential calibre of Miriam O’Callaghan please step forward quickly and take me and a lot of similar-minded people out of our misery? This “Rás to the Áras” is seriously getting beyond a joke! – Yours, etc,
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A chara – The key question surrounding Martin McGuinness’s suitability for the presidency is whether or not he is a democrat for life. For many years Sinn Féin/IRA ignored the will of the Irish people, carrying out a campaign of violence in Northern Ireland and Britain. The vast majority of people on the island of Ireland would not murder or sanction murder for the sake of the return of the six counties.
During its terrorist campaign, Sinn Féin/IRA operated against the democratic wishes of the people with whom they claim so much affinity. In recent years, Sinn Féin has become convinced of the expediency of the ballot box over the bomb for its political goals. I have never heard Mr McGuinness renounce the idea of using violence in the future should the Sinn Féin democratic experiment fail.
As an Irishman, I rejoice that Sinn Féin has distanced itself from the use of violence, but until the idea of violence is categorically rejected, its members cannot be considered true democrats and Mr McGuinness should not be president. – Is mise,
Sir, – So Martin McGuinness regards some citizens of the Irish Republic as “West Brits”. What does that make him . . . a “North Brit”? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – If Martin McGuinness wins the upcoming presidential election, his first task as the new head of the Defence Forces and Garda Síochána should be to purge these organisations of any “West Brit” influences. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I am old enough to remember the South African Archbishop Denis Hurley, interviewed in the aftermath of an ANC bombing, describe it as: “an anguished response, by an oppressed people”. No less so the mistaken IRA campaign, that ended inevitably with the realisation – on all sides – that a 40 per cent minority cannot be denied its rights. Martin McGuinness was one of the first to have a vision of this and to convince others. His vision will make him a great next president. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – If the Irish people really cared about the issue of child abuse, then David Norris’s attempts to re-enter the presidential race wouldn’t be entertained for one moment.
I have been astounded at the lack of principle and moral fibre among those TDs and senators willing to facilitate his nomination, and the apathy of the Irish people in allowing a man who used his position as a member of Seanad Éireann to support a statutory rapist, seek the highest office in the land.
Mr Norris is unfit to hold the position of president, and, as a proud Irish person, I would be embarrassed and ashamed to be represented by him.
Perhaps our county councils will have the courage to stand on the side of decency and not try to hide behind empty academic arguments about democracy and nomination processes.
It’s time to allow the presidential race reclaim the dignity it deserves. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – A strong man with a violent past can be a candidate for president of Ireland but a gay man who pleaded for clemency cannot. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Fianna Fáil’s decision not to support any candidate seeking election reminds me of the old story of the boy who was not doing well at football. The ball was his, so he took it home. If Fianna Fáil cannot win, then it will spoil it for any other independent candidate seeking election by making it virtually impossible for anybody else to be nominated.
In fairness, I note that there are quite a few other TDs who are unwilling to support any candidate (September 21st). I ask them all: where stands the concept of democracy in this decision? – Is mise,
Sir, – Why is there such unanimous disrespect, not least in the media, for the Constitution of Ireland in the matter of the election of the president, who, under that Constitution, “shall take precedence over all other persons in the State”? It is the highest office, and the Constitution sets down very specific controls under which persons are to be presented for election to it.
Apart from the self-nomination of a former or retiring president, candidature is strictly limited to persons nominated by not less – repeat: not less – than 20 members of the Oireachtas or four councils, none of whom shall be entitled to subscribe to the nomination of more than one candidate.
From where did the notion spring that the words “not less” are to be translated to “not more”? Is it not clear that the spirit of the Constitution is dishonoured by those members of the Oireachtas or councils who would nominate persons for whom they themselves are not prepared and do not intend to vote? Is it not equally so in the case of Oireachtas members and councils who would shift their nomination to a new candidate because their first choice already has met the minimum requirements?
What an utterly ridiculous and anti-Constitutional theory it is that it would do the electorate a favour and enhance democracy to bring the number of candidates up to the largest possible number, as close as possible to the arithmetic sum of 1/20th of the total number of Oireachtas members and one quarter of the total number of county, city and borough councils! – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The disgust that many feel for the failings of David Norris should perhaps be tempered by the fact that if his friend Ezra Yizhak Nawi had committed his crime in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Vatican or many other states he would not have committed a crime at all, as the age of consent in those states is 14 or less. Arguably Mr Yizhak was guilty mainly of being in the wrong jurisdiction at the wrong time.
Should not our disgust be better focused on the absurd system of nominating our presidential candidates which places the whole process in the hands of the larger political parties, and seems designed specifically to keep outsiders out? – Yours, etc,