John Hume: "One of the most difficult personal decisions I have had to make"

BBC Correspondent Mark Devenport Dur: 55"

Hume Will Not Stand for Irish Presidency

The 60-year-old political veteran announced his intentions during a visit to County Sligo to receive a local honour for his peace efforts.

Mr Hume's candidacy had been the subject of intense speculation since the current President Mary Robinson announced her decision to leave the presidency to become the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner.

It had been suggested that had he stood, he would have been clear favourite.

Mr Hume is a key player in efforts to achieve a enduring peace in Northern Ireland, and that has been cited as the main factor in arguments against his running for the presidency.

In his statement Mr Hume said he was sad at not being able to stand as an agreed candidate but he said peace negotiations in Northern Ireland are at such a crucial stage that he felt he should continue to use his energies to promote peace.

Mr Hume confirmed he had agonised since his return from holidays in France last month and following weekend consultations with senior party colleagues.

He said: "If I had opted for the presidency, there are things I would have liked to have done. I would have had some very positive ideas.

"It was a very difficult decision and there's no point in saying I was disappointed or pleased. I had a decision to take and when you have a difficult decision to make, you make it and support what you have done yourself."

Mr Hume has been prominent since becoming a civil rights activist in the 1960s. He was a founding member of the SDLP in 1970 and became leader nine years later.

A number of other potential candidates have emerged as possible successors to Mrs Robinson. They include former the Irish prime minister, Albert Reynolds, who worked closely on the peace bid with Mr Hume. He has indicated he would not be prepared to step aside in favour of the SDLP chief.

Also possibly in the field are the anti-abortion campaigner and one-time Irish Eurovision Song Contest winner, Dana - real name Rosemary Brown - and the leading Dublin gay rights campaigner, David Norris, a member of the Irish Senate.

Nominations close at the end of the month, and an election - if necessary - has been set for October 30.

Ironically, Mrs Robinson starts her final few days in office tomorrow with a last visit to Northern Ireland, where she has engagements in Belfast, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, and Armagh.

Full text of Mr Hume's Statement