The Candidate Exits from Ireland's Election Campaign
In a stunning development, one of the main hopefuls in the Irish race for president has left the race, reshaping the entire competition.
Withdrawal Announcement Shakes Up Campaign Landscape
Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin pulled out on the evening of Sunday following revelations about an outstanding payment to a past renter, turning the election into an unpredictable head-to-head battle between a centre-right ex-minister and an independent leftwing legislator.
Gavin, 54, a inexperienced candidate who was parachuted into the campaign after professional experiences in athletics, flying and armed forces, stepped aside after it emerged he had not repaid a overpaid rent of 3,300 euros when he was a lessor about in the mid-2000s, during a period of economic hardship.
"I committed an error that was contrary to who I am and the expectations I hold. I am currently resolving the issue," he declared. "After careful consideration, regarding the possible effects of the current political contest on the welfare of my family and friends.
"Weighing all these factors, My decision is to step down from the presidential election contest with right away and go back to my family."
Race Narrowed to Two Main Contenders
The biggest shock in a election race in living memory limited the options to Heather Humphreys, a ex-minister who is campaigning for the governing moderate right party Fine Gael, and another candidate, an frank supporter of Palestinian rights who is endorsed by Sinn Féin and minor progressive groups.
Crisis for Leadership
The withdrawal also caused a problem for the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, who had staked his authority by nominating an unproven contender over the skepticism of party colleagues.
He commented Gavin did not want to "cause dispute" to the presidential role and was justified in leaving. "He acknowledged that he committed a mistake in relation to an situation that has come up lately."
Campaign Struggles
Despite a reputation for skill and accomplishments in commerce and athletics – under his leadership Dublin's Gaelic football team to multiple successive wins – his election effort faltered through gaffes that put him at a disadvantage in an opinion poll even prior to the financial revelation.
Fianna Fáil figures who had objected to picking the candidate said the situation was a "significant mistake" that would have "ramifications" – a thinly veiled warning to Martin.
Voting System
Gavin's name may stay on the voting paper in the vote scheduled for October 24, which will finish the long service of Michael D Higgins, but the electorate now confronts a two options between a traditional center candidate and an independent leftwinger. Survey results prior to his departure gave 32 percent backing for Connolly and Humphreys nearly a quarter, with the former candidate at 15 percent.
Under electoral rules, people pick hopefuls by ranked choice. Should no contender surpass 50% on the first count, the candidate with the least primary selections is excluded and their ballots are redistributed to the next preference.
Likely Support Redistribution
It was expected that if Gavin was eliminated, the bulk of his support would shift to the other candidate, and vice versa, enhancing the possibility that a establishment hopeful would win the presidential office for the governing partnership.
Role of the Presidency
The presidency is a primarily ceremonial position but incumbents and past holders transformed it into a venue for worldwide concerns.
Remaining Candidates
Connolly, 68, from her home city, would bring a strong leftwing voice to that tradition. Connolly has attacked free-market policies and remarked the group represents "a fundamental element" of the people of Palestine. She has accused Nato of militarism and compared Berlin's enhanced defense expenditure to the thirties, when Adolf Hitler rearmed the country.
Humphreys, 62, has faced scrutiny over her performance in government in cabinets that oversaw a housing crisis. As a Protestant from the county Monaghan near the border, she has also been criticised over her failure to speak Gaelic but said her religious background could aid in securing Northern Ireland's unionists in a combined country.
