TWO INDEPENDENT SENATORS have said they will back Senator David Norris’ bid to be an independent candidate in the autumn presidential election but they won’t vote for him on polling day.
Fiach Mac Conghail, an independent senator who is also the director of the Abbey Theatre, has said he is exercising his constitutional right by by nominating Norris for the presidency saying on Twitter: “It is not my role to prevent him from running.”
However, he added that he would be voting for Labour’s candidate Michael D Higgins because he was the first Arts minister who was included in the cabinet, a cultural thinker and a social justice campaigner.
His fellow independent senator Katherine Zappone, from the Irish Human Rights Commission, echoed those views, saying she would be nominating Norris but voting for Higgins because: “We live in a democracy and as such, I believe that Senator Norris has a right to be in the race for the Irish Presidency,” in a statement carried on Politics.ie.
Yesterday, Norris said he had the support of 13 members of the Oireachtas, a mix of independent TDs and senators, and added that he was confident of securing the requisite 20 to ensure he is one of the candidates on the ballot for the election due to be held on 21 October.
Other candidates in the race include Higgins, Fine Gael’s Gay Mitchell, and independents Mary Davis and Sean Gallagher.
Fianna Fáil has not yet decided whether it will put forward a candidate or back one of the independents. Sources have indicated to TheJournal.ie that it could be as late as early September before a decision is made.
Sinn Féin appears unlikely to field its own candidate.
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