Sinn Fein has effectively decided not to field a candidate for the Presidential race in October 2011, but will row in behind the Labour Party’s Michael D. Higgins, who was a former Minister. Sinn Fein will make a formal announcement later this month when the party’s national executive meets, the party had seriously considered putting forward Gerry Adams TD, however, it is believed that this was shelved due to the on-going fallout from the extradition of Gerry’s brother Liam Adams on charges of alleged child rape. Liam Adams is wanted in the north and Gerry Adams has been forced to admit that he concealed the alleged child rape for over a decade and only made a statement to the authorities in 2007 when the alleged victim refused to be silenced. Gerry has also admitted that he concealed the fact that his own father Gerry Adams Snr was a child rapist.
A senior Sinn Fein member told The Irish Observer:
“We out-rightly rejected approaches from Niall O’Dowd who would have left us with a losing ticket at a time when the party is doing well in the south, we considered putting Gerry forward but the David Norris controversy over the past week has left us with no alternative but to back Michael D. Higgins and I think the party will go with that, we don’t want a blue shirt in the Aras for 2016”.
With David Norris out of the presidential race it is expected that the only two serious contenders for the post will be Gay Mitchell MEP who has been selected to run by Fine Gael and Michael D. Higgins.
