Michael D. Higgins will be Ireland’s 9th president following the election on October 27. In the wake of dramatic reversal in support for the frontrunner, independent Sean Gallagher, Higgins won 39.6 percent of the vote under the county’s proportional representation system. Gallagher came next with 28.5 percent of the vote.
Higgins (70) is a Labour Party veteran and a former government minister for Arts, Culture, and the Gaeltacht – those Irish-speaking regions of the country, primarily on the rural West coast. Until the February general election this year, he was a Teachta Dála (TD), or member of the Irish parliament. Higgins is well-known for his interest in and campaigning on behalf of social justice issues. He has played a prominent role in such campaigns in Ireland as equal pay for women, access to contraception, divorce, and the rights of people with disabilities. Abroad, Higgins has lent his support for humanitarian projects in countries including Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cambodia, Iraq, Somalia, and Chile. He was the first recipient of the Seán McBride International Peace Prize by the Zurich-based International Peace Bureau for his work on international human right.
Businessman Sean Gallagher, best known for his appearances on the Dragon’s Den television program, saw his campaign become unstuck following allegations aired by Sinn Fein candidate Martin McGuinness during a televised debate that Gallagher had received a cheque for €5,000.00 from another businessman for a Fianna Fail fundraiser. Fianna Fail, which until this year was the dominant party in Irish politics, has been tainted down the years by various scandals linked to fund raising and its closeness to property developers, in particular. That Gallagher would be in any way associated with this was enough to derail his campaign.
The allegations against Gallagher were part of a general trend in recent Irish presidential elections of focusing on candidates’ personal characteristics. This is unsurprising, as the president is a largely ceremonial role.
Martin McGuinness, who is the current deputy first minister in Northern Ireland’s devolved administration, came third in the presidential election, with 13.7 percent of the vote. Gay Mitchell, the candidate of Ireland’s largest party, Fine Gael, attracted a disappointing 6.4 percent of the vote. The other three independent candidates – David Norris, Dana Rosemary Scallon, and Mary Davis – finished with 6.2 percent, 2.9 percent, and 2.7 percent of the vote, respectively.
On the same day as the presidential election, the Fine Gael/Labour coalition held referendums on judicial pay, which passed, and strengthening the investigatory power of parliamentary committees, which was defeated.
Higgins will begin his seven-year term in office on November 11. He replaces Mary McAleese, who was elected in 1997 and returned unopposed in 2004.
Source: RTE presidential election coverage
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