Cowen 'bounce' won't last - Labour and FG
OPPOSITION parties yesterday attributed a dramatic surge in support for Fianna Fail to a momentary "Brian Cowen bounce" which won't last.
The Taoiseach-elect Brian Cowen, who has been enjoying increased support among the public in recent opinion polls, seemed to engineer the best poll rating for Fianna Fail for quite some time with a significant jump of 5pc.
Yesterday, Fianna Fail insisted the 40pc support was more reflective of the countrywide support for the party than the last poll showing of 35pc.
The opinion poll was undertaken by the Sunday Business Post the day after Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's shock announcement and Brian Cowen's emergence as his natural successor.
In a further boost for Mr Cowen, who will be elected party leader on Wednesday, the poll found that 63pc of people believe he would prove the best Taoiseach. His rival for that position, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, obtained only 24pc.
While junior minister Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher insisted the increased level of support would be maintained by the new leader, the opposition dismissed the poll results as an inevitable follow-on from an emotional week for the outgoing Taoiseach and the promotion of Mr Cowen.
Fine Gael's Jim O'Keeffe, claimed the poll simply reflected temporary goodwill towards the incoming new Taoiseach.
Predictable
"That sort of bounce is to be expected. A certain honeymoon period is predictable," he said.
According to the poll, one-in-five people believed Mr Ahern should not have resigned, while 31pc said they did not want him to quit but felt he had no option following recent revelations about his financial dealings.
Another 20pc felt it was about time Mr Ahern resigned, while a quarter believed he should have quit as soon as the Mahon Tribunal commenced its investigations into him.
"I suppose the poll is a certain expression of hope the party can get back to what they should have been dealing with for a long time -- the problems of the country," Mr O'Keeffe said. "But people will go back and focus on what counts in this country. They will judge Brian Cowen when he has been in office for some time."
Labour's Willie Penrose said his party was not concerned by the increased support for Fianna Fail. "Every time a party changes a leader they get a bounce," he said.
"At the end of the day, Brian Cowen has extremely challenging times ahead. The real test of evaluation will be 12 or 15 months down the line."
At the close of nominations on Saturday, Mr Cowen emerged as the sole candidate to become the next leader of Fianna Fail. On Wednesday, he will be formally declared leader at a special parliamentary party meeting and take over as Taoiseach on May 7.
cowen's path to power: Page 25
- Aine Kerr Political Correspondent
