FF chiefs signal desire for an agreed successor
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan yesterday ruled himself out of any potential leadership race, saying it was important for the continued stability and strength of the party not to be divided over Mr Ahern’s successor.
His comments favour Tánaiste Brian Cowen, who has been widely tipped to take over the top post, not least by Mr Ahern himself who last summer declared him his “obvious successor”.
Mr Lenihan would not name his preferred leader and said if somebody wished to put their name forward as a contender for the leadership, they were entitled to do so.
However, he said it was important for Fianna Fáil that there be no contest.
“Bertie Ahern has left the party as a very united party. I think we would like to sustain that mood. I would like to see that mood sustained in the future.
“Our back bench is not characterised by the kind of bitter rivalries and dissensions that we saw in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. We have moved beyond that under Bertie Ahern.”
Former Fianna Fáil general secretary Pat Farrell said the party would be anxious to have a “consensus leader” and he believed the transition to a successor would be “orderly and well managed”.
“The party has benefited enormously from the unity that Bertie Ahern worked so assiduously to achieve. The party would be anxious to try to preserve that,” he said.
One of the party’s longest serving deputies, former minister Mary O’Rourke, said she would not mind a contest but if there was to be a leadership race, she hoped Mr Cowen would win it.
Minister for Integration Conor Lenihan said there were at least three or four people who could be leader but he too would support Brian Cowen who he felt was the frontrunner.
Fianna Fáil senators will not have a vote if there is a contest but veteran Seanad member Donie Cassidy said he too would hope to see Mr Cowen as the next leader.
Other ministers have been slow to publicly express an interest in the leadership but speculation has focused mainly on Dermot Ahern, Mary Hanafin, Micheál Martin and Noel Dempsey as potential rivals to the Tánaiste.
Dermot Ahern was known to be annoyed at the Taoiseach’s stated preference for Mr Cowen as his successor although he confined his criticisms to describing the Taoiseach’s comments as premature.
In the early days of Bertie Ahern’s stewardship, Micheál Martin was considered one of the rising stars of the party and a potential future leader, particularly when he was given the meaty health brief so early in his career, but he has had a considerably lower profile as Minister for Enterprise and Employment.
Mr Cowen has shown no outward signs of itching to take over as leader, appearing comfortable to bear the title of “next of line” since the Taoiseach’s comments last year and displaying no rush for elevation.
He refused to respond to questions about his own aspirations regarding the leadership yesterday. “These are matters for the days to come. This is Bertie Ahern’s day,” he said.
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