Crowley: I could have won race for the Áras

CORK MEP Brian Crowley believes he could have won the presidential election for Fianna Fáil if his party had supported his wishes to enter the race.

He said it was a “mistake” for his party not to favour running an internal candidate which would have been important for its future relevance.

“I believe I would have done very well, I believe I could have done better than what the polls were saying. I believe it’s possible that I could have won,” he said in an interview with RTÉ after announcing he was no longer seeking the party nomination.

He made his decision because of the “lack of enthusiasm” in the parliamentary party and leadership to contest the race, something he said he did not understand.

The party leader, Micheál Martin, said a decision on how to approach the election will be made in the coming weeks. But he has come under criticism for allowing the issue to drag on and splits to emerge.

In his statement, Mr Crowley said: “It is very important to me that the status and dignity of the presidential office not be diminished in any way, and for that reason, I will not be a candidate for a party that continues to be divided on its electoral approach.”

Speaking afterwards, he told RTÉ that money should not have been a factor in the party’s decision.

“If you’re a political party, if you’re serious about being a relevant national movement, you should be fighting elections.

“It shouldn’t be about money, it shouldn’t be about your chances of success. It’s about your desire to put forward a view point, an idea, a vision for what the future should be. You should be proud of what you’re about and what you represent.”

The view is reflected by a number of the party’s TDs and senators. But others believe there is no point spending up to €500,000 on a campaign when the party had little chance of success and that it should focus on future local elections.

Fianna Fáil TDs and senators received an e-mail on Monday saying there will be a parliamentary party meeting next Wednesday. A separate meeting will take place on Monday of a special committee established to decide party strategy for the election.

Mr Crowley said he had a good chance because in elections he has received a higher vote than the party average.

“There are other people who like what I stand for, what I say and what I represent who might have come to that conclusion as well.

“If I thought I would have been defeated or had no chance of winning, I would never have put my name forward.”

In a statement, Mr Martin said: “I fully respect Brian’s decision. He is an excellent parliamentarian and a valued member of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.”

But he said: “The process remains the same for deciding the party’s strategy for the presidential election.

“I have established a sub-committee that is scheduled to meet next week. The committee is tasked with submitting recommendations to the parliamentary party which will make the final decision in the coming weeks.”