Ahern naming Cowen successor ‘jumping the gun’

DERMOT Ahern yesterday accused the Taoiseach of “jumping the gun” by endorsing the Minister for Finance Brian Cowen as the next leader of Fianna Fáil.

Setting a marker for his own leadership ambitions, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said the issue of a leadership contest was not yet on the radar.

“The whole issue of leadership isn’t on the agenda and won’t be on the agenda for some considerable time, as the Taoiseach has said. I think it’s jumping the gun by anybody to speculate in that respect,” he said, speaking at the conclusion of Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party meeting in Druid’s Glen, Co Wicklow.

Asked if this included the Taoiseach, he replied: “Even the Taoiseach, yes.”

After the general election, the Taoiseach said Mr Cowen was an obvious successor.

“Brian Cowen and I have been friends since the mid-’80s. We’ve worked together, he’s a brilliant mind and he’s a great colleague. He has a vast amount of experience and is still not much beyond his mid-40s,” he said. “He is a hugely experienced politician... obviously the party will ultimately decide, but [from] my point of view he is the obvious successor to me in five years’ time or whenever.”

Yesterday, Celtic bookies’ gave Dermot Ahern odds of 10/1 of becoming the next leader. Brian Cowen was placed in first position followed by Micheál Martin (5/1), Mary Hanafin (7/1) and Brian Lenihan (8/1). Previously, the Education Minister Mary Hanafin has said if the leadership election was held in the morning, Mr Cowen would “undoubtedly get it”.

“But the election is not in the morning, and the Taoiseach has no intention of going for a number of years,” she added.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey previously said most people are surprised by the Taoiseach’s endorsement.

“It’s not a usual thing to happen,” he said.

Separately yesterday, the Dermot Ahern, who is to chair a committee to examine the possibility of Fianna Fáil becoming a 32-county party, described comments made by UUP leader Reg Empey as “over the top”.

Yesterday, the UUP leader said Fianna Fáil’s decision to look at organising in the North as “unwanted” and “destabilising” and would damage attempts to achieve political normality.