Election news (Galway)

galway | politics / elections | news report

Sunday May 23, 2004 11:17

by finnachta

Law student poised to challenge corruption

Twenty year old law student Ann Marie Kelly recently secured the 15 signatures she needed from members of her local community to run for election to Galway County Council.

Ms Kelly's family home is in Woodlawn, and there are some very pressing and serious environmental threats for local people relating to the possibility that two superdumps may soon be located nearby.

The main thrust of her election campaign will centre on Article 28A (Item 1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland, which reads as follows: "The State recognises the role of local government in providing a forum for the democratic representation of local communities, in exercising and performing at local level powers and functions conferred by law and in promoting by its initiatives the interests of such communities."

Ms Kelly believes that certain very controversial alterations which were made a few years ago to the Republic of Ireland's Waste Management Act are completely in breach of the Constitution. Several other local people feel exactly the same way, and they are EXTREMELY angry about the whole overall situation.

The alterations in question remove power from locally elected politicians to have any worthwhile say in the location of such things as superdumps and incinerators. Instead, all important decisions relating to such matters are, at the present time, in the hands of non-elected government managers.

In a recent newspaper article Ms Kelly is quoted as saying: "Words fail me when it comes to describe the growing sense of anger and resentment I feel regarding all of the ongoing upset and trouble that I, my family, and many other families in my community have been going through for several years now on account of these two dumps - all because of what I see as President McAleese's reckless and irresponsible behaviour towards our Constitution, and towards the citizens of my local community. Both as a lawyer and as a woman, I feel she should know better - much better."

The full text of the above mentioned article can be seen at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/annmariekelly/message/3

Political, legal, and corporate corruption are the main targets Ms Kelly is at present adjusting her sights for- with the help of a small but growing group of dedicated supporters.

When asked recently if she was concerned about the enormity of the task which lays ahead of her, Ms Kelly quietly quoted the old saying:
"A journey of 1000 miles must begin with the first step".

A copy Ms Kelly's election flyer for the June 11th 2004 election can be seen at:
http://www.finnachta.com/AnnMarieKellyNumber1.htm

She has also recently made a start at opening a web site of her own, which is at:
http://www.annmariekelly.org/