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In a stunning development, a key primary contenders in the Irish election for president has quit the contest, upending the election dynamics.

Withdrawal Announcement Shakes Up Political Contest

Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin stepped down on Sunday night following reports about an financial obligation to a previous occupant, transforming the contest into an volatile head-to-head battle between a moderate right past cabinet member and an autonomous progressive member of parliament.

Gavin, 54, a newcomer to politics who was parachuted into the election after professional experiences in sports, airline industry and defense, quit after it came to light he had failed to return a excess rental payment of over three thousand euros when he was a lessor about 16 years ago, during a period of monetary strain.

"I committed an error that was inconsistent with who I am and the standards I set myself. I am currently resolving the issue," he stated. "I have also thought long and hard, about the potential impact of the ongoing campaign on the health of my family and friends.

"Weighing all these factors, My decision is to step down from the campaign for president with immediate action and go back to my family."

Race Narrowed to Leading Candidates

The most dramatic event in a presidential campaign in living memory narrowed the contest to one candidate, a former cabinet minister who is campaigning for the ruling centre-right Fine Gael party, and another candidate, an vocal pro-Palestinian voice who is supported by Sinn Féin and minor progressive groups.

Problem for Leader

Gavin's exit also created turmoil for the prime minister and party head, the party chief, who had risked his standing by nominating an untried candidate over the reservations of fellow members.

He commented the candidate wished to avoid "bring controversy" to the presidential role and was right to withdraw. "He acknowledged that he committed a mistake in relation to an issue that has come up lately."

Political Difficulties

Despite a reputation for capability and achievements in enterprise and sports – under his leadership the capital's GAA team to five consecutive championship victories – his campaign had stumbled through blunders that caused him to fall behind in an opinion poll even prior to the financial revelation.

Party members who had opposed selecting Gavin said the fiasco was a "serious miscalculation" that would have "repercussions" – a barely concealed caution to the leader.

Election Rules

Gavin's name may stay on the voting paper in the poll taking place in late October, which will conclude the lengthy term of President Higgins, but the electorate now confronts a dichotomy between a mainstream moderate hopeful and an independent leftwinger. A poll taken before his departure gave Connolly 32% support and 23 percent for Humphreys, with 15 percent supporting Gavin.

Under electoral rules, the electorate chooses contenders based on preference. If no candidate exceeds 50% on the first count, the hopeful with the fewest first preference votes is removed and their ballots are redistributed to the following option.

Possible Ballot Shifts

Analysts predicted that should Gavin be removed, the bulk of his support would go to Humphreys, and the other way around, increasing the likelihood that a pro-government candidate would attain the presidency for the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition.

Function of the President

This office is a mostly representative role but Higgins and his predecessors made it a venue for worldwide concerns.

Remaining Candidates

Connolly, 68, from her home city, would bring a strong leftwing voice to that legacy. She has criticized neoliberal economics and stated Hamas is "a fundamental element" of the Palestinian people. Connolly has alleged Nato of militarism and equated Berlin's enhanced defense expenditure to the 1930s, when Germany underwent rearmament.

The 62-year-old Humphreys, has been subjected to review over her record as a minister in administrations that managed a housing crisis. A Presbyterian from the county Monaghan near the border, she has also been questioned about her inability to speak Irish but commented her religious background could help win over loyalists in the North in a combined country.