Posted on 09/07/2006 10:36:24 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite
Harney quits as PDs leader
Deputy Irish Prime Minister Mary Harney has announced she is to resign as leader of the Progressive Democrats, junior partner in the Republic's coalition government.
The Irish health minister made the announcement in Dublin this afternoon.
She said: "This afternoon at a meeting of the parliamentary party I informed my colleagues of my intention to stand down as leader of the party as soon as my successor has been chosen by the party."
Ms Harney, 53, who has been party leader since 1993, said: "The leadership issue within the Progressive Democrats arose in June and at that time I received the unanimous support of my parliamentary colleagues and I did commit to lead the party on to the next general election.
"However, over the summer I took an unusually long holiday, I had time on my own with my husband to reflect on matters political, and I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for the Progressive Democrats to elect a new leader.
"It is also the right time for me to vacate that position."
The Dublin Mid-West TD was the first woman to lead an Irish political party and served in three governments.
She said: "When I was first elected as party leader almost 13 years ago, I never envisaged that I would remain leader for so long. In fact my predecessor had been leader for just eight years.
"Thirteen years is a long time and I think it is important for parties to reinvigorate themselves.
"I am conscious that there is less than a year to go until the next general election. However we are a small party with very strong personalities within the party who are well known to the electorate and can more than ably articulate the vision of the Progressive Democrats.
"I feel proud to say that as a small party we have played a very important part in the politics of this country particularly during two periods in government between 1997 and the present and previously in 1989 to 1992.
"I was privileged to serve the country in government as a Progressive Democrats leader."
Ms Harney made her announcement in the Merrion Hotel, flanked by party chairman Senator John Dardis and general secretary John Higgins.
Many of the party`s TDs and senators attended the packed Wellington Suite of the hotel.
Ms Harney began her political career as a senator in the late 1970s and later left the Fianna Fail party in 1985 to form the Progressive Democrats party with Des O`Malley.
She later served as a minister in coalition governments led by Fianna Fail.
Her portfolios included environment, enterprise trade and employment and her current responsibility for health and children.
Ms Harney today also paid tribute to the Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern for his effective leadership in government.
She added: "I am confident that there will be a smooth and positive party leadership election process and I wish the new leader of our party every success."
End of an era in Irish politics!
Is this good news?
But she's about as responsible for the Irish economic miracle as anyone, right?
The PD, unless I'm horribly wrong, is about as close to a libertarian party as you can get in Irish politics.
Thanks, Wideawake.
It depends, because even though I hate Bertie Ahern an Fianna Fail, I like Mary Harney and the PDs in general - as wideawake points out, they are as close to being a libertarian party as you can get in Irish politics, the trouble is; who will replace her?
Two frontrunners - Justice Minister Michael McDowell, an out spoken critic of the IRA, and Liz O'Donnel, Minister of State at the Department of Foriegn Affairs, who is an out-and-out liberal. Needless to say, I'm hoping for Michael McDowell!
I get it, thanks.
Lets hope for Mr.McDowell then.
And they have an extraordinarily high numbers of Dail seats per vote - brought about by the electoral genius of John Higgins, the PDs general secretary - a man who happens to come from a town not far from me.
The PR system, with it's multi-party outcome has a lot of potential - it means a small party can wield a lot more power than their size would normally dictate, no two-horse races like Britain and America.
But she's about as responsible for the Irish economic miracle as anyone, right?
The economic reform started in the 80s under Garret Fitzgerald - but, yeah, Mary Harney deserves a lot of credit for the Celtic Tiger.
He's a firebrand and he's a maverick - perfect for the job! :)
Sickening how well the terrorists did in the last election - will they repeat?
BTW, every gung-ho Irish American will tell you how Michael Collins was one of their favorite movies and then claim that they would vote SF if they were voting in an Irish election - yet FG is Collins' party.
I am a grassroots member of FG, but my support for the party is tacit - I always get the feeling they want to recover their conservative roots, but are unable/unwilling to do so because of their long running pact with Labour.
And you're right FF is SF lite - in fact some backbench FF TDs are involved in the IRA, I know of one Fianna Fail TD who marched with Ruairi O Bradach in an Easter Rising parade years ago.
Sickening how well the terrorists did in the last election - will they repeat?
Now there's the downside of the PR/multiparty system - fringe lunatics like Sinn Fein could acquire power, and I fear it could be as soon as the next General Election (9 months max.).
BTW, every gung-ho Irish American will tell you how Michael Collins was one of their favorite movies and then claim that they would vote SF if they were voting in an Irish election - yet FG is Collins' party.
They are willfully unware of the fact that, in the end, Collins was shot by the IRA!!
I hope McDowell doesn't get the job.
The man is opposed to freedom of speech, and the freedom of the press.
He's a loose cannon.
Yeah... but Liz O'Donnell?
Any man who tries to force through a law that will practically stifle the Irish press, just because of a report about his own son, is not best placed to be Tanaiste.
So yeah, I'd take Liz O'Donnell over him any day.
You gotta remember, McDowell is a very polarising character. Do you think he would attract votes for the PD's in the next general election?
I can't see it happening myself.
Of course, we are assuming that Harney will immediately step down as Tanaiste... she has made no mention of that.
I'm tempted to say I'd like to see Frank Connolly's freedom of expression stifled! :P
*sigh* You are right about McDowell, he is a nanny-stater - nanny-statism is what pushed me to join FR, I dunno.. this country needs someone to stand up to the threat from Sinn Fein/IRA.
You are right, but then again, I can't see the PDs doing well anyway - John Higgins will REALLY have to perform a miracle for them this time!
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