Students’ union presidential candidate Seán Thím O’Leary has criticised the campaign to re-open nominations (RON) for the position: “The RON on Pres campaign has been misleading about me.”
In a statement posted to their Instagram story this morning, O’Leary noted that while “its principles are ones [they] agree with, many critiques are uncharitable and ill-informed”.
They called a vote for RON an “unstable option”, saying that a RON result would lead to “a short-lived coalition of voters with completely opposite issues in the union that would have no hope of lasting into the next election, one which would at best produce failed candidates from other races running for president instead, or unserious candidates trying to fill a vacuum.”
They continued: “People who didn’t want the job the first time are not likely to be better candidates.”
While the RON campaign has critiqued the current presidential candidates, the anonymous group has offered no clear alternative, despite claiming that voting RON is “the best way to ensure an effective union”.
O’Leary further defended their campaign against RON’s critiques in an Instagram reel posted this morning.
They highlighted that manifestos were limited to one page this year, and so candidates “lack the space to delve into the details of each issue, which may have led to some deficiencies in communication and misrepresentations overall”.
They denied the RON campaign’s allegations that their campaign is overly focused on lobbying rather than direct action, saying: “Addressing any issue in college requires an integrated approach of lobbying and direct action.”
They highlighted their participation in direct action in the union, saying they have “organised people to participate in several direct actions last year, including protests and occupations” and that they “donated food to the BDS encampment”.
They further noted that, being a commuter who lives two hours away from campus, their “ability to participate in direct action is limited”.
O’Leary also addressed accusations regarding their alleged failure to mention BDS in their manifesto: “I specifically mention continuing to pressure College to fulfill its commitment to divestment. Yes, we did not say the word Palestine, but neither does the word ‘BDS’.”
“I could have detailed it more admittedly, but I saw this as something which all the candidates and the student body overwhelmingly agreed upon. And so I chose to emphasise other areas of policy proposals instead.”
The RON campaign began on the February 18. Choosing to re-open the nominations in the presidential race has seen an upward momentum in polling since, with the results of a Trinity News snap poll forecasting a RON result in the presidential election.
The RON campaign Instagram page currently sits at 521 followers, making the anonymous group the most followed presidential campaign page.
