O’Keeffe denies rift with running mate Crowley
Mr O’Keeffe chose the unusual step of issuing a statement yesterday saying speculation that he and Mr Crowley were at loggerheads was “completely without foundation”.
Publishing such a statement runs the risk of giving even more publicity to the damaging rumours.
But a Fianna Fáil spokes- man said Mr O’Keeffe felt obliged to do so after being confronted about the alleged row in a series of local radio interviews.
Mr O’Keeffe was nominated to run alongside Mr Crowley in the South constituency at a selection convention in Cork last month.
The speculation was that Mr Crowley had opposed the imposition of a running mate because it risked splitting the Fianna Fáil vote and damaging his bid for re-election to the European Parliament.
But Mr O’Keeffe said that while there was a “competitive rivalry” between the two men, it was a “healthy” one and not mean-spirited.
“There is no row between myself and Brian; we are both just interested in maximising the Fianna Fáil vote in the forthcoming Euro elections,” he said.
“Like any campaign there is a healthy, competitive rivalry but that is to be expected among running mates in any election. We all want to do well and obviously we will both be appealing to the same groups of voters in some areas.
“However, I don’t think this is a bad-tempered or mean-spirited rivalry.”
Mr O’Keeffe’s effort to paint a picture of unity came as the Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore announced his team for the European elections and set an ambitious target of four seats.
It will be led by Proinsias De Rossa in Dublin and includes Nessa Childers in Ireland East (Leinster) and Senator Alan Kelly in Ireland South (formerly Munster).
Mr Gilmore said he would not settle for three seats and wanted an MEP returned in all four European constituencies, after winning just one in 2004.
He said the chances of new candidate Susan O’Keeffe, a renowned campaigning journalist, in Ireland West were boosted by sitting FF MEP Seán Ó Neachtain’s decision to withdraw on health grounds.
