🔗 Share this article

In a surprising turn of events, one of the primary candidates in the Irish race for president has withdrawn from the race, reshaping the entire competition.

Sudden Exit Transforms Campaign Landscape

The party's presidential hopeful withdrew on Sunday night following reports about an unpaid debt to a former tenant, turning the contest into an unpredictable direct competition between a centre-right ex-minister and an autonomous progressive member of parliament.

Gavin, 54, a newcomer to politics who entered the campaign after work in sports, airline industry and defense, withdrew after it came to light he had failed to return a overpaid rent of €3,300 when he was a property owner about 16 years ago, during a period of monetary strain.

"I committed an error that was contrary to my values and the standards I set myself. I am currently resolving the issue," he said. "I have also thought long and hard, concerning the influence of the continuing election battle on the health of my loved ones and companions.

"Weighing all these factors, I've chosen to exit from the race for the presidency with right away and go back to my family."

Contest Reduced to Two Main Contenders

A major surprise in a election race in modern times reduced the field to Heather Humphreys, a ex-minister who is representing the ruling centre-right party Fine Gael, and Catherine Connolly, an outspoken advocate for Palestine who is supported by Sinn Féin and small leftwing opposition parties.

Challenge for Party Head

The withdrawal also caused a problem for the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, who had put his reputation on the line by nominating an inexperienced hopeful over the skepticism of party colleagues.

He commented it was about not wanting to "cause dispute" to the presidential role and was right to withdraw. "He acknowledged that he made an error in relation to an situation that has arisen in recent days."

Political Difficulties

Even with a track record of capability and achievements in enterprise and sports – he guided the Dublin football squad to five straight titles – his campaign had stumbled through gaffes that caused him to fall behind in an public opinion measure even prior to the financial revelation.

Party members who had been against choosing the candidate said the episode was a "serious miscalculation" that would have "consequences" – a barely concealed caution to Martin.

Election Rules

The candidate's name may stay on the voting paper in the poll taking place in late October, which will end the 14-year tenure of Michael D Higgins, but people must choose between a dichotomy between a mainstream moderate hopeful and an independent leftwinger. A poll taken before the withdrawal gave Connolly a third of the vote and 23 percent for Humphreys, with the former candidate at 15 percent.

According to voting regulations, the electorate chooses contenders based on preference. If no candidate exceeds a majority in round one, the hopeful with the fewest initial choices is excluded and their votes are transferred to the following option.

Possible Ballot Shifts

Observers anticipated that should Gavin be removed, a majority of his ballots would shift to the other candidate, and conversely, increasing the likelihood that a establishment hopeful would secure the presidency for the governing partnership.

Function of the President

This office is a largely symbolic post but Higgins and his predecessors made it a stage for international matters.

Final Contenders

Connolly, 68, from her home city, would bring a strong leftwing voice to that tradition. Connolly has attacked capitalist systems and remarked the organization constitutes "a fundamental element" of the Palestinian people. Connolly has alleged the alliance of warmongering and likened the country's raised military budget to the thirties, when Adolf Hitler rearmed the country.

The 62-year-old Humphreys, has encountered examination over her performance in government in governments that presided over a housing crisis. As a Protestant from the northern county, she has also been criticised over her inability to speak Irish but said her religious background could assist in gaining loyalists in the North in a united Ireland.