Cllr Joe Bonner condemns a party dictate blocking independent presidential nominees. It has come under strong attack from him today. Cllr Bonner issued the following statement as Simon Harris, Fine Gael leader has banned party councillors a free vote in their nominations for the forthcoming presidential elections. Candidates need at least four councils to support their nomination, to be eligible to run. This decision will be a major setback to candidates attempting to get on the ticket through the councils.
Independent Meath County Councillor Joe Bonner has strongly criticised a directive issued by Fine Gael leadership instructing its councillors to oppose the nomination of any Independent candidates for the 2025 Presidential Election through local authorities. Calling the move “a blight on democracy,” Cllr Bonner condemned what he sees as a top-down attempt to control the nomination process and silence legitimate voices before they can even make their case to the public.
“This directive denies councillors their democratic right to vote according to conscience,” he said. “And more importantly, it denies the public their right to hear from all eligible candidates — not just those sanctioned by political parties.” Under the Constitution, candidates seeking to contest the presidency must secure the support of either 20 Oireachtas members or four local authorities. For independents, council nominations have historically been a key path to the ballot paper — a path now threatened by party-political interference.
“What kind of future does democracy have ?,” asked Cllr Bonner, “if parties can block candidates before voters ever get a chance to hear from them? Councils should be spaces of open debate, not instruments of party control.”
Cllr Bonner noted that the directive appears designed to obstruct Independent voices, warning that this sets a dangerous precedent for local government and free expression alike. “This isn’t just about one party or one election,” he continued. “It’s about whether we allow political leadership to override democratic principles. Councillors are elected to represent their communities — not to act as rubber stamps for party headquarters.”
He called on councillors from all parties — and none — to resist any directive that seeks to limit their freedom to nominate candidates. “If we allow this kind of obstruction to become the norm,” he said, “We may well ask: what’s left of democracy?”
