Former Independent MEP Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon was close to conceding defeat last night in her bid to gain enough support from the Oireachtas to allow her run for the presidency.
If neither Ms Scallon nor another candidate gets the signatures of 20 TDs or senators by noon today, the President, Mrs McAleese, will be elected unopposed for a second seven-year term. She is due at the Custom House Dublin at noon today.
However, one Independent senator, Mr Shane Ross, has signed her nominations paper, and another, Sen David Norris, is believed to be prepared to do so, even though he is abroad.
Last night Mr Ross said: "I don't agree with a great deal of what she stands for, but I think it is greatly unfair that someone who was third in the last presidential election with a huge vote should not be allowed to stand while the President is allowed to renominate herself."
Ms Scallon admitted yesterday she had failed in her bid to win the support of four local authorities. Only Galway City Council had voted in her favour.
However, the former MEP's brother and spokesman, Mr John Brown, claimed that "more than one" member of the Oireachtas had pledged their support for Ms Scallon and the campaign team was hopeful of making up the shortfall before today's midday deadline for nominations.
If no candidate gets the necessary Oireachtas support, Mrs McAleese will be re-elected at noon at the Custom House in Dublin, following the validation of her nomination papers.
For Ms Scallon to succeed in being nominated, Mr Brown admitted, "you would be looking at people not being afraid of the party whip".
Ms Scallon wrote this week to every TD and senator seeking their support and yesterday she followed this up with personal appeals by fax, e-mail and phone. The campaign appeared to have had little impact, however.
Fine Gael TD Mr Michael Ring said he would sign her papers today if she had 19 signatures.
"I think it is wrong that she is not being allowed to stand. The last person to get 100 per cent of the vote in a presidential election was Saddam Hussein."
Mr Finian McGrath TD (Ind) said he might consider supporting Ms Scallon if she came to him this morning with 18 or 19 names. However, he said, that appeared unlikely.
Mayo TD Mr Jerry Cowley (Ind), who supported for a time Ms Scallon's bid for re-election to the European Parliament, said he would not be backing her nomination attempt.
Heritage campaigner Mr Vincent Salafia made a last-minute appeal to the Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, to support his nomination bid.
Mr Salafia said the Green Party had formally supported his bid but last night he was still 14 signatures short of the required number.
Laois county councillors last night voted 18-2 against nominating Ms Scallon.
