Senator favourite for Green chairmanship

Senator Dan Boyle is the front runner of five candidates for the post of Green Party chairman, for which nominations closed today.

Four other candidates have officially declared for the position vacated when John Gormley succeeded Trevor Sargent as leader.

The other hopefuls are TD Paul Gogarty, Cllr Bronwyn Maher, Dr John Barry and Dublin party worker Phil Kearney.

Ballots will be posted out to party members on Monday and the closing date for their return is Friday, October 19.

Dr Barry is currently co-chair of the Northern Ireland Regional Council of the Green Party and believes he can offer a north-south perspective to the key party position.

“The Green Party is the only truly all-island party because it draws support from both sides of the sectarian divide,” his spokesman said.

Candidate Brian Wilson was the first ever Stormont MLA elected for the party earlier this year, for the North Down constituency.

“Catholics and Protestants have also held senior party positions on a equal basis.”

Mr Boyle lost his Dail seat in May and later helped negotiate the programme for government with Fianna Fail. He was nominated to the Seanad by the Taoiseach.

Dublin Mid-West TD Mr Gogarty is front bench spokesman for the Greens in the Dail.

Cllr Maher represents the Clontarf area of Dublin and received 1,891 first preferences in the Dublin North Central in May’s general election.

Mr Kearney ran unsuccessfully in the north inner city for the Greens in the local elections in 2004

The chairman of the party, who is elected for a term of two years, cannot be a serving Government Minister or Minister for State.

His or her duties include chairing meetings of the national convention, the management committee and those relating to electoral and party strategy.