Bertie Ahern has said Micheál Martin is “anti-me” as he confirmed he is ruling himself out of the presidential election.
In a message to supporters late last night, the former taoiseach criticised the Fianna Fáil leader and cited the Mahon Tribunal as part of the reason for his decision. He also said party leadership had already thrown support behind a younger candidate.
“I suppose [Micheál Martin] saw in his view that there was a candidate 20 years younger and somebody from outside the party,” Ahern said.
He added that in all his years in Fianna Fáil he had never seen a time when the party leadership did not get its way in such contests.
“In all my time in Fianna Fáil, I’ve never seen a period where the leadership really lose out in these things,” he remarked.
Ahern also stated he would not consider running as an Independent, citing his lifelong loyalty to Fianna Fáil.
“As a former leader of the party, I respect Fianna Fáil and its legacy far too much to even consider that independent idea,” he said.
“I’ve always been a Fianna Fáil person.”
The former taoiseach also defended his record on the economy and rejected criticisms arising from the Mahon Tribunal, which investigated his personal finances.
“I suppose the only area where [Micheál Martin] has indicated in the past why he was anti-me was the Mahon Tribunal and the economy,” he said.
“I don’t think we can say too much about the economy because we were all in it together, trying to make sure the economy was the best we could. The reality is that the economy from ’97 to today has grown practically nearly every year bar the years of the international recession, which was a worldwide recession.”
As reported by the Irish Independent this morning, Ahern described the tribunal’s findings against him as “unfair” and “inaccurate” and said they related to money given to him by friends at a time of personal difficulty, rather than corruption.
“Friends of mine gave money. Not any robbers or gangsters or crooks,” he said.
The former Fianna Fáil leader also expressed concern that what he described as “untruths” about his character had spread to a new generation during speculation about his candidacy.
“I feel it’s important to set some of these things right because if lies are repeated so many times unfortunately they become fact,” he said.
Nominations for Fianna Fáil’s presidential candidate close at 5pm today, with Jim Gavin and Billy Kelleher expected to secure the required backing from at least five members of the parliamentary party.
The parliamentary party will meet to hear from both candidates before voting by secret ballot, with a result due by lunchtime.
Gavin, the former Dublin GAA manager, has been strongly supported by Martin and senior ministers and has secured more endorsements than Kelleher, though the vote will remain confidential.