14 May 1998 Edition

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Springhill slams voting system

Teach an Phobail/Springhill Community House have come out strongly against the electoral system decided for the proposed six county assembly.

In an open letter to direct ruler Mo Mowlam, signed by Noelle Ryan and Des Wilson, the Community House stated that ``an understanding of the usual voting pattern leads to the conclusion that the Women's Coalition will be excluded.''

The letter condemned the attitude of the SDLP: their ``description of the Women's Coalition as a `one issue pressure group' is unworthy,'' the letter said. Their suggested remedy to this exclusion of a party which ``has proven talent, integrity and diversity'', is to use the ``top-up'' system allocated to the top ten parties in the Peace Talks.

The community group asked ``Why were the Women's Coalition brought into the equation in the first place without an assurance they would not be at the mercy of the two power blocs which were bound to come together through narrow sectional interest?''


An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland