Candidate Selection: More Democratic or More Centrally Controlled?

In the 2002 election, a total of 463 candidates presented themselves to the voters in Ireland’s 42 constituencies; most of these — 325, or 70 per cent — came from the six main parties while the other 138 were either independents or representatives of minor parties. The candidate selection process offers a rare glimpse of the internal workings of political parties, of internal rivalries and of the balance of power between party centres and constituency organisations. Controlling candidate selection is not just about choosing a particular set of party standard-bearers for the election. It is also about shaping the next parliament and presenting a particular image of a party to the public. We begin by examining the formal rules framing the conduct of selections for the 2002 election. We will then take a closer look at the three main participants — candidates, selectors and central party committees — before turning to a discussion of the outcomes followed by a section exploring the general issues raised by the candidate selection process in 2002.