18 June 1998 Edition
FF/FG keep SF out of chair
Sinn Féin may represent the largest bloc of voters in the town of Monaghan but this did not prevent Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Independent members from yet again keeping the republican party's nominee out of the chair of the Urban District Council.
At a stormy AGM of Monaghan UDC on Monday 15 June Caoimhghín O Caoláin TD nominated Owen Smyth for the position of chair for 1998/99 and he was seconded by Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha. These three Sinn Féin councillors all secured election in 1994 on the first count and with surpluses.
Despite this mandate, and their unequalled record of work, Sinn Féin has never held the chair of the council. They were opposed again this week by the unholy alliance of FF, FG and Independent members who secured the election to the chair, for the second time in the current UDC, of Francis Macklin of FG.
Even though Sinn Féin had in previous years supported Independent and FG nominees for chair, the representatives of these groups voted with FF who last year broke the pattern of chair rotation and challenged SF's right to take their place. The Sinn Féin councillors described the exclusion as ``a travesty''.
The strength of the Sinn Féin protest meant that the second part of the manoeuvre - the nomination of John Clerkin (FF) as vice-chair to keep out Owen Smyth (SF) - did not materialise. Smyth was elected vice-chair. Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha said: ``The voters will not have long to wait to give their verdict on the anti-democratic antics of these councillors.''
A more positive result is expected on Thursday night when Sinn Féin seeks the election of Peter McAleer as chair of Clones UDC.
At a stormy AGM of Monaghan UDC on Monday 15 June Caoimhghín O Caoláin TD nominated Owen Smyth for the position of chair for 1998/99 and he was seconded by Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha. These three Sinn Féin councillors all secured election in 1994 on the first count and with surpluses.
Despite this mandate, and their unequalled record of work, Sinn Féin has never held the chair of the council. They were opposed again this week by the unholy alliance of FF, FG and Independent members who secured the election to the chair, for the second time in the current UDC, of Francis Macklin of FG.
Even though Sinn Féin had in previous years supported Independent and FG nominees for chair, the representatives of these groups voted with FF who last year broke the pattern of chair rotation and challenged SF's right to take their place. The Sinn Féin councillors described the exclusion as ``a travesty''.
The strength of the Sinn Féin protest meant that the second part of the manoeuvre - the nomination of John Clerkin (FF) as vice-chair to keep out Owen Smyth (SF) - did not materialise. Smyth was elected vice-chair. Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha said: ``The voters will not have long to wait to give their verdict on the anti-democratic antics of these councillors.''
A more positive result is expected on Thursday night when Sinn Féin seeks the election of Peter McAleer as chair of Clones UDC.