Maria Steen Faces Urgent Deadline for Presidential Nomination

UPDATE: Independent presidential candidate Maria Steen is racing against the clock as the 12pm deadline for submitting nomination signatures approaches. With just hours to go, Steen needs to secure two more backers to reach the critical 20 nomination signatures required to appear on the ballot.

The political landscape is shifting rapidly, and Steen may find out her fate as early as 9am today, with speculation mounting that a prominent politician could announce their support for her candidacy in the next few hours. Sources close to Steen suggest that potential endorsements from members of the ruling parties are still on the table.

However, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has issued a stern warning to members of his party, Fianna Fáil, stating there will be repercussions for any TDs or senators who defy party lines to support Steen. “Fianna Fáil has nominated its candidate,” Martin emphasized, declaring there is “no leeway” for members to back another contender, underscoring that the party’s rules include penalties for dissent.

“The question of who Oireachtas members should nominate is something for them to decide,” said independent candidate Catherine Connolly, who recently submitted her own nomination papers amid controversy over her comments regarding Hamas.

Connolly has faced backlash for stating that Hamas is “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people.” While she condemned Hamas’s actions, she affirmed her stance that violence is never justified. Her remarks have sparked significant media attention just as the election campaign heats up.

In a related note, Martin defended his party’s candidate Jim Gavin, who suggested that Hamas could play a role in post-war Gaza if supported by the Palestinian people. Martin stated that it is “not the job of a presidential candidate to articulate everything a government minister says.”

Tánaiste Simon Harris, addressing reporters at the UN summit in New York, reiterated the government’s firm stance on Hamas, labeling it a “despicable, illegal terrorist organization” that has caused suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians. He emphasized, “It offers the people of Palestine no future.”

As the nomination deadline looms, the political climate is charged, with Steen’s candidacy hanging in the balance. The public and media interest will undoubtedly surge as posters for candidates begin to appear across Ireland starting tomorrow morning.

With the campaign entering its final weeks, the urgency for candidates to finalize their nominations is palpable. As political dynamics evolve, all eyes will be on Steen and her potential backers in the hours leading up to the deadline.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops. The election race is intensifying, and the next few hours could prove pivotal for Maria Steen’s presidential ambitions.