Fine Gael scuppers bid for 'rotating taoiseach'
Monday January 14 2002
Labour leader Ruairi Quinn appeared to back the idea in a radio interview yesterday after newspaper speculation that it would form the basis of any Labour negotiations on the formation of the next administration.
Former Labour leader Dick Spring first floated the proposal in negotiations with Fine Gael after the collapse of the Albert Reynolds led Government, and came close to achieving the ambition. His odds on becoming the taoiseach fell from 500/1 before the election to just 5/2.
Yesterday Fine Gael spurned the idea, but said it would talk to all potential Government partners on all issues after the votes were in.
A spokeswoman said that in all previous coalitions the precedent had been that the leader of the principal party in the coalition became taoiseach and that the party saw no reason for a departure from that.
"Fine Gael has no reason to believe that there will be a departure from this precedent in the formation of the next Government."
"Fine Gael will however set no preconditions to any negotiations it might have with the Labour party, Greens, or Progressive Democrats (after the next election)."
Mr Quinn said he wanted to see the present Government defeated and would favour a rainbow coalition after the election. But he added that any decision on the next Government would be taken at a party conference after the election.
"My members very clearly indicated back in September at the conference that they want the party to fight the next election as an independent party on the basis of a very radical policy platform that is in the process of being finalised."
Mr Quinn said the Labour Party has gone down the road of pre-election pacts before and that he wanted the electorate to have a clear choice in policy.
Labour would ensure that any Government it helped to form would implement Labour policies, he said. "I would like to see this Government defeated. I would like to see an alternative possibility being put in place by the Irish electorate."
Asked about Dick Spring's suggestion he be made Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in a coalition, Mr Quinn said: "It's an open party. I respect people's views.
But he said he "would not berecommending to the Labour Party that we participate in any government unless that government gives a clear commitment that it will abolish the two-tier health system and that we have free GP care for our doctors."
- Senan Molony Political Correspondent
