Leftist Catherine Connolly set to be Ireland’s president after only rival concedes marred election
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Voters spoilt their ballots or simply failed to vote, amid anger over a lack of right-wing candidates to challenge left-winger Catherine Connolly, who is on course for a landslide win in the Oct 24 vote.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Catherine Connolly, backed by the left, is set to win the Irish presidential election with over 60% of votes, according to early tallies.
- Connolly's victory is marred by low voter turnout and a high number of spoilt ballots, indicating dissatisfaction with candidate choices.
- Connolly's left-wing views and criticism of government policies may lead to friction between the presidency and the government.
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DUBLIN - Irish voters looked set to have elected left-winger Catherine Connolly to be the country’s new president, after her only rival conceded defeat on Oct 25 in a contest marred by unprecedented spoilt voting and low turnout.
After hours of counting following the Oct 24 ballot, Ms Connolly, an independent, was on course for a landslide victory, prompting the centrist Fine Gael party’s candidate, Ms Heather Humphreys, to congratulate her on “becoming the next president of Ireland”.
But the apparent win by 68-year-old Ms Connolly was marred by a record number of spoilt ballots and other voters failing to turn up, amid frustration at the lack of right-wing options and issues including immigration and crime.
A lawyer and outspoken critic of both the United States and European Union, Ms Connolly’s election to a post with limited political power could nonetheless herald an era of increased friction between Ireland’s largely ceremonial presidency and government.
Deputy Prime Minister and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was quick to wish Ms Connolly “every success”, adding “she will be President for all this country”.
“Her success will be Ireland’s success,” he posted on X.
The official result was expected late on Oct 25. Many polling stations reported turnout below 40 per cent and potentially more than one in eight voters having spoilt their ballots, according to The Irish Times newspaper.
‘Spoil your vote’
Conservative figures had urged voters to mar their voting paper in protest at the contest being a two-horse race and other issues.
Like neighbouring Britain, Ireland has seen an increasingly divisive debate over an influx of asylum seekers, sparking sometimes violent protests, including outside facilities used to house them.
More than 3.6 million people were eligible to vote to choose the successor to 84-year-old Mr Michael Higgins, who has held the primarily symbolic post since 2011.
A slew of celebrities also considered running – including mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor, singer Bob Geldof and dancer Michael Flatley – but their campaigns failed to materialise.
A conservative Catholic candidate who appeared able to muster double digit support in polling almost made the ballot but fell short of gaining enough parliamentary backing.
That sparked anger about the nomination rules and prompted early calls to “spoil your vote”.
Centrist Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys conceded defeat.
PHOTO: EPA
Ms Connolly and Ms Humphreys ended up as the only effective choices after another candidate representing the centrist Fianna Fail – the larger party in Ireland’s governing coalition with Fine Gael – quit the race.
He remained on ballot papers because he only announced his withdrawal earlier this month.
A recent poll suggested 49 per cent of voters did not feel represented by the two candidates on offer.
‘Disastrous’
Ms Connolly, a lawmaker since 2016 and supported by left-wing parties including Sinn Fein, had surged ahead in opinion polls in recent weeks.
“She speaks for the regular person,” Ms Una Corcoran, 62, told AFP after voting in Ms Connolly’s home city of Galway, western Ireland.
Some predict the charismatic anti-Establishment figure’s stridently left-wing views on foreign policy, social justice and housing could cause friction with the government.
Irish-language-speaking and, like many in Ireland, vehemently pro-Palestinian and in favour of reunifying the country with the UK territory Northern Ireland, she has voiced unease at Europe’s growing military spending.
Political analyst Pat Leahy called her election a “disastrous day” for the two parties currently governing.
“How she navigates the relationship with a government she so clearly believes is pursuing the wrong policies now brings a new uncertainty – and possibly conflict – into Irish politics,” he wrote in the Irish Times.
Trinity College Dublin politics professor Lisa Keenan said the left-wing unity behind Ms Connolly signals parties on that flank have serious hopes to “end the dominance” of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.
Their ultimate aim is to “exclude them from government for the first time in the history of the state”, she noted.
Prof Keenan added the record low turnout and spoilt ballots also showed “a large segment of the electorate was extremely dissatisfied with the range candidates on offer” and “a lacklustre campaign”. REUTERS
