THE silence from Sinn Féin's senior figures three days after John O'Dowd was revealed to be challenging vice president Michelle O'Neill appears to indicate the party's renowned member discipline will characterise the forthcoming election.
While the Upper Bann assembly member is the first person in decades to publicly initiate a challenge for either of the leadership posts, informed insiders believe it unlikely to mark a period of factional in-fighting.
Indeed, most members of Mr O'Dowd's own cumann declined to comment yesterday, instead referring media inquiries to the Sinn Féin press office.
Portadown councillor Paul Duffy allowed himself to be drawn as far as to say the challenge was "really democracy" and Sinn Féin is "a democratic party".
"It is good and healthy for the party to have voting, not just one candidate elected."
Mr Duffy added that its three ard fheis delegates (yet to be chosen) will be behind their local candidate.
"If you know John O'Dowd you know he's full of life and vitality, all go, a big party man who believes in Sinn Féin, believes in what they stand for."
He added immediately: "As well as Michelle does too, We get behind whoever it is - if it's John, if it's Michelle, we'll all rally in behind. We are democrats."
It is understood that the party leadership was aware of Mr O'Dowd's pending challenge before it was revealed at the weekend.
He had discussed it with his local branch, and the leadership is thought to have also been aware of the plan before it entered the public domain.
It is expected that the endorsement of the two candidates by senior figures will emerge in a harmonious and choreographed way.
A tweet commenting on Mr O'Dowd's candidacy by Foyle MLA and former hunger striker Raymond McCartney was deleted at the weekend.
South Down assembly member and Sinn Féin's northern chair Chris Hazzard yesterday declined to be drawn on his choice, repeatedly stressing the "democratic" nature of the party voting process.
All soundings from within Sinn Féin indicate Mr O'Dowd is mounting a purposeful and "serious" challenge to take the post. He was after all appointed northern interim northern leader during Martin McGuinness's Irish presidential election bid.
Some believe it represents the evolution of the party's traditional power `handover' to one ostensibly more in line with the way leadership is decided in other political parties.
The concept of two candidates competing for the role is so unusual for Sinn Féin, the party was unable to say yesterday whether the election process will be one member one vote or through cumann delegates.
