Readers Blog: Presidential election must take place in 2018

President Higgins declared in Australia this week that he believes himself “fit enough” to undertake a second presidential term but that he will publicly disclose next May, after his 77th birthday, if he intends to exercise his prerogative under Article 12.4 of the Constitution to become a candidate for a second term on his own nomination. 

A self-assessment of the personal fitness of the incumbent for a second term, however, is certainly not the only factor that defines the national interest with respect to the presidency.

According to Census 2016 the average age of our population is 37.4 years. When our national leaders travel nowadays to countries such as New Zealand, Austria and Canada they will observe that the practice of democracy revitalising itself is decisively achieved by citizens’ through the election of attractive young leaders with compelling credentials offering new ideas.