Why are rivals so keen to see end of the PDs?

I DISAGREE with Mark Wakefield (Letters, January 4) when he says the PDs should call it a day.

He expressed a view that is strongly held by supporters of other parties. It is surprising how strongly they express this belief given that they consider the PDs dead and buried already.

I wonder if this is out of hope rather than genuine belief.

Do other parties fear that the next leader of the PDs will reduce their vote in the next general election, as Michael McDowell did against Sinn Féin last time.

I am sure Gerry Adams and company are hopeful the PDs will cease to exist by the next general election.

Does Mr Wakefield suggest that the party abandon its 3,000-plus membership up and down the country or the 2% of the population who voted in its favour in the last election, or the two constituencies that elected PD Dáil deputies.

The PD party should lead by example and fight back from adversity, like many Irish organisations and individuals before it.

No one disputes that the PDs face an almighty challenge to recover by the next general election, but surely the decision as to whether the party should cease to exist is up to its membership and their willingness to fight on and continue to make a vital contribution to Irish politics, not the supporters of other parties.

The membership has already decided that it wishes to fight on.

The question I would ask is why do these parties fear a PD revival so much?

Colm MacCarvill

Merrion

Dublin 4