April 2, 2008 at 10:44AM “Taoiseach statement on departure expected”
Bertie is going! About bloody time. That’s one less gombeen in charge of the country. However, this means that the protest scheduled for the 12th of this month is probably going to be called off. I was looking forward to that...
Still, it all depends if he does his Imperious Leader schtick and give his departure date as just before the next election... ![[smile]](/images/smilies/smile.gif){kind=small}
Update: Watching the speech. He’s blathering, trying to make out that he’s some kind of great statesman. I wish he’d just get to the point...
Update: Oh, he’s going on about how nasty it is that Mahon questioned his honesty and hows questions of his honesty and propriety have nothing whatsoever to do with his position as Taoiseach.
Update: May 6th? Hmmm... I think I can stick him for just over a month...
“All political careers end in failure.”
-- Enoch Powell
Update (April 3rd): You owe it to yourself to read Gavin Sheridan’s opinion piece on the resignation and his chronology of events. In particular, I thought this was worth quoting:
But I don’t see this as a victory for accountability. Ahern was dragged kicking and screaming to a resignation, when he really should have resigned a very long time ago. If, for example, PTSB had not found the documents that they did, Ahern would very likely still be clinging on to power, and brazening it for as long as possible - and to hell with standards or perceived standards in public life.
We have to ask ourselves what sort of society we want. One where the leader of our country spends an inordinate amount of time answering questions about vast sums of money in his accounts, appoints friends to State jobs, takes cash from businessmen... and all the rest... or one where politicians do all of the above - but when found out resign immediately for the good of the country.
Ireland is a very long way from a democracy which is accountable to its people, and Ahern’s games around the tribunal have only served to bring the country into disrepute and to blacken the highest political office in the country.
Ahern, Taoiseach or not, has very serious matters to answer. Tribunal matters. Cash matters. Corruption matters. Criminal matters. How we deal with those matters, and how we punish wrongdoing in public office, will define our nation.
If we fall short in that regard, we all lose.
1 On April 2, 2008 at 19:11, Rogi wrote:
I just deliberately wandered over here to see if you had anything to say about him quitting.
You indeed had. And it was pretty much what I was expecting you to say. :-)
Congrats.
Rogi.
2 On April 3, 2008 at 16:24, Keith wrote:
I’m nothing if not predictable in that regard!