The Jim Gavin Withdraws from Irish Election Campaign
With an unexpected announcement, one of the primary contenders in the Irish election for president has quit the campaign, reshaping the political landscape.
Withdrawal Announcement Transforms Campaign Landscape
Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin withdrew on Sunday night following reports about an outstanding payment to a past renter, transforming the election into an volatile direct competition between a center-right ex-minister and an non-aligned left-leaning parliamentarian.
The 54-year-old Gavin, a newcomer to politics who entered the campaign after professional experiences in sports, airline industry and defense, withdrew after it came to light he had failed to return a overpaid rent of 3,300 euros when he was a lessor about in the mid-2000s, during a period of monetary strain.
"It was my fault that was contrary to my values and the standards I set myself. I am currently resolving the issue," he stated. "I have also thought long and hard, about the potential impact of the ongoing campaign on the health of my relatives and acquaintances.
"Weighing all these factors, I have decided to withdraw from the race for the presidency with immediate action and go back to my family."
Contest Reduced to Primary Hopefuls
The most dramatic event in a political contest in recent history narrowed the contest to one candidate, a former cabinet minister who is campaigning for the governing moderate right party Fine Gael, and Catherine Connolly, an vocal pro-Palestinian voice who is backed by Sinn Féin and minor progressive groups.
Challenge for Party Head
This departure also created turmoil for the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, who had staked his authority by selecting an unproven contender over the doubts of party colleagues.
He commented Gavin did not want to "cause dispute" to the presidency and was correct to step down. "Jim has accepted that he made an error in relation to an matter that has come up lately."
Political Difficulties
Even with a track record of capability and achievements in business and sport – under his leadership the capital's GAA team to multiple successive wins – his campaign had stumbled through blunders that caused him to fall behind in an opinion poll even prior to the financial revelation.
Fianna Fáil figures who had opposed selecting Gavin said the fiasco was a "serious miscalculation" that would have "consequences" – a implied threat to Martin.
Voting System
His name may still appear for selection in the election on 24 October, which will conclude the lengthy term of President Higgins, but people must choose between a binary choice between a mainstream moderate hopeful and an non-aligned left-leaning candidate. Survey results prior to the withdrawal gave Connolly a third of the vote and Humphreys 23%, with Gavin on 15%.
Under electoral rules, the electorate chooses candidates in order of preference. If no candidate exceeds 50% on the first count, the hopeful with the fewest primary selections is excluded and their votes are transferred to the subsequent choice.
Potential Vote Transfers
Observers anticipated that in the event of his exclusion, most of his votes would transfer to Humphreys, and conversely, boosting the chance that a mainstream contender would win the presidential office for the governing partnership.
Presidential Duties
The role of president is a mostly representative role but the current and former presidents turned it into a stage for international matters.
Remaining Candidates
Connolly, 68, from her home city, would introduce a robust progressive perspective to that tradition. She has assailed neoliberal economics and said the group represents "part of the fabric" of the people of Palestine. Connolly has alleged Nato of militarism and equated the country's raised military budget to the 1930s, when Germany underwent rearmament.
The 62-year-old Humphreys, has been subjected to review over her time in office in cabinets that oversaw a accommodation problem. Being a member of that faith from the northern county, she has also been faulted for her inability to speak Irish but said her religious background could assist in gaining Northern Ireland's unionists in a combined country.