Ár Ré presidential primary, 4312

Ár Ré held a presidential primary in 4312. The primary was unique in that the previous presidential candidate, Michael Arthur-Doyle, withdrew his candidacy for the Presidency in 4308. However, rather than contesting the election, the party membership undertook the extraordinary vote to postpone the primary until Arthur-Doyle stood down as Leader, which he did in 4311. Eileen Thompson, the leader elected in 4311, was the only candidate in the presidential primary and was declared, by acclamation at the party convention, to be the party's official presidential candidate.

Background
Michael Arthur-Doyle, after winning the presidential election in January 4305, opted to withdraw his candidacy for the presidency in 4308. Usually, a presidential primary is automatically triggered at the onset of a candidate's withdrawal. However, the party membership voted in an extraordinary meeting to postpone the presidential primary until Arthur-Doyle stood down as leader of the party. Ar Re did not contest the 4308 presidential elections, the first time it has done so since 4179.

In 4311, owing to old age and ill health, Arthur-Doyle announced his resignation as leader of the party. In accordance with the ordinance of the party membership passed in 4308, a presidential primary was triggered, to be held anytime from Arthur-Doyle's abdication to the date of election.

Procedure
The last constitutional review, which took place in 4300, imposed no major changes to the rules of presidential elections.

Sole candidacy
Thompson announced her intentions to run in the primary after her election as Leader of the Party. The executive of the party, alongside the Internal Electoral Committee, agreed that the election was to be held from January 1 to January 7, the shortest presidential primary in Ar Re's history. With little enthusiasm and a sense of inevitably, no other potential candidate announced that they would contest the primary.

Nominations for the primary took place on one day only, on January 1, 4312. Eileen Thompson announced her candidacy on the day itself, and was the sole candidate by the close of nominations at 1800hrs. On January 2nd, the day after, she was announced as the party's presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.