Kenny denies ‘uno duce, una voce’ style of leadership
Speaking ahead of the resumption of the Dáil today, the Fianna Fáil leader said he was taken aback by Mr Kenny’s ruthless treatment of those with dissenting opinions within Fine Gael and evoked a motto once used by those around former Taoiseach Charles J Haughey.
Claiming many Fine Gael TDs and Senators are against the abolition of the Seanad, Mr Martin said: “But because of this, how would I put it, ‘uno duce una voce’, approach of Enda Kenny and his people and the dictatorial approach, [Fine Gael] people [are] afraid to vote against it.”
The motto which means ‘one leader, one voice’ was used by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and later quoted in the 1980s by the then government press secretary PJ Mara, after a failed heave against the late Taoiseach Charles J Haughey.
Yesterday, Mr Kenny rejected the claims, saying he was a democratic leader.
“It ill behoves any member of the Fianna Fáil party to accuse me of being a dictator,” Mr Kenny said.
“Far from that, I probably am the most open person who has handled this office and had the privilege of sitting in this office.
“My politics are about the people and the country. From that point of view, I object to the political assertion made by the Deputy Martin.”
Ironically, the attack came as Mr Kenny appeared to slightly soften his stance on whether the seven rebel TDs and senators would be let run for Fine Gael in the next general election.
Yesterday’s “there will be no easy way back” for the rebels stance, was a slightly less harsh attitude from the no way back stance previously indicated.
“I don’t see any easy way for any of those people, they are all adults they made a decision, they knew the rules, they understand the consequences,” he said, adding: “We are a long way from an election; I don’t know whether they want to stand as a member of the party or not, they are now free spirits and if they want to continue on that line that’s their business.”
Mr Kenny also told his parliamentary colleagues at the Co Laois “think-in” that he wished the current Government would serve its full term until Mar 2016.
However, he dismissed suggestions Fine Gael and Labour would run on a joint platform, saying Fine Gael hasn’t even contemplated such an idea: “It won’t be a joint platform, I believe. Fine Gael has very clear and very strong principles as indeed do the Labour Party and as in the past, we’ll see what the verdict of the people is.”
