SINN FÉIN president Gerry Adams has no intention of stepping down as party leader despite a number of changes among the party's top ranks that will be made at next month's party ardfheis.
Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald is relinquishing the party's chair to become Sinn Féin's first woman vice-president in place of Pat Doherty, who is standing down after 21 years.
She will be replaced by Declan Kearney, who has led the party's efforts to reorganise in the Republic following the disappointing 2007 general elections.
He played a key role in the party's decision to support the PSNI.
Long-time party official Wexford-born Dawn Doyle becomes general secretary in place of Rita O'Hare, who becomes joint party treasurer, alongside Limerick-based Maurice Quinlivan - brother of Brixton Prison escaper Nessan Quinlivan.
The changes are a deliberate effort to strengthen the Southern representation in the party's leadership, Mr Adams acknowledged, though he insisted he had never met "with a partitionist attitude" from voters in the Republic.
"I do not see myself as a Northern leader." He said he had been reluctant to take on the leadership in 1983 "because I thought that we needed a Southern-based party leader and 20-odd years later I am still in the job".
The leadership nominations have yet to be formally ratified by next month's ardfheis, but none of the individuals going forward faces a challenger and their appointment will go through without difficulty.
"I see this as part of a long-term strategy for a Southern leadership. Sinn Féin is a party in transition," said Mr Adams, adding that together the changes will make the party "fit for purpose everywhere on the island".
Paying tribute to Pat Doherty and to his wife, Mary, Mr Adams said he had been "a consistent part of our leadership over 20 years", and he will remain involved in the party's taskforce on Irish unity.
Responding to a question from the party's newspaper, An Phoblacht, about whether he had plans to stand down, Mr Adams said: "I have no plans to stand down. The schedule for year is a very busy one with many challenges."
Speaking later to The Irish Times, he said: "It's my intention to remain as long as the party finds me useful. I am the party president, but I am not vainglorious about it. I'm not precious about it. I am very much part of a collective leadership."
The party faces a major battle to get its sitting Dublin MEP, Mary Lou McDonald, re-elected in June, a task made more difficult by Dublin losing one of its four seats in the European Parliament.
He acknowledged that the party had not done well in the 2007 general election, but he claimed that predictions made by commentators had been exaggerated.
