Media Blackout Gives Expected results

international | politics / elections | press release

Friday March 09, 2007 17:00

by Seán Ó Murchú - Sinn Féin Poblachtach - Cork

Statement from Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, President Republican Sinn Féin.

Given the almost total media blackout of Republican Sinn Féin during the Stormont election the results for its candidates were only as expected. Even the name of Republican Sinn Féin was suppressed by the Stormont régime’s electoral body and a compliant media followed suit. Our candidates were styled “Independents”, taking away our coherent strategy and sense of direction.

Although not registered as a “party” at Leinster House for 40 years, the media in the 26 Counties do not class Republican Sinn Féin candidates as “Independents”, but treat them as an organised body.

Indeed, on the TG4 television programme Seacht Lá on polling day, a commentator [Tomás Tiernan] stated that there was a complete block on publicity for Republican Sinn Féin and that there appeared to have been an agreement between the various channels to this effect.

The result was, that denied publicity and even their organisation’s name, our six candidates were consigned to a welter of Independent candidates, without the distinction of the Republican Sinn Féin title and direction. Of course the harassment by the RUC/PSNI of our election workers continued during the campaign.

As to the general results, the DUP is moving towards a monolithic Unionist Party such as existed up to the 1960s . With its increased vote it will impose even more humiliating terms on the Provisionals.

The Provos, for their part, will go on to consolidate English rule here, to lead away from Irish national independence and secure lucrative positions of power for their leadership within the system.

For Republican Sinn Féin the task must be to build support, to expose the direction of the Provisional leadership and the mis-use of the unionist population by their leaders and by unscrupulous English governments.

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Comments (5 of 5)

Registered

by Electioneer

Fri Mar 09, 2007 17:31

Is RSF registered as a political party? If not then you can't really complain that your candidates are not referred to by the party's name- especially since the field was crowded by farious factions and sub factions of dissident republicans. How could the mass media know who was who?

Oh dear

by Silly Me

Fri Mar 09, 2007 18:41

Gee. It was down to the media. And here was me thinking it was because people didn't want to vote for them because they were sick of living in the past, sick of the "I'm a poor hard done by Republican martyr" whine-line and actually had a choice to vote for other parties who have something to offer nd can actually deliver. Silly me.

Spitting out the dummy time for RSF et al

by Seamy

Sat Mar 10, 2007 00:50

I agree with the previous comments.
The bulk of the electrorate in Northern Ireland have matured along with the political parties to the extent that manefestos matter more and tribal beliefs matter less. Disinfranchised Republicans can look for excuses for their poor performance until the cows come home, but the fact that they are now spitting out the dummy and trying to look for excuses just validates the reasons people did not vote for them in the first place. The had no real manefesto. They were more interested in airing their political views than addressing social issues. They did not do the ground work the way other political parties did. They were convinced that many Sinn Fein voters felt as they did about the policing decision and sat back and waited for an influx of defectors that never came.
How can you put your faith in leaders who will sit down at the table to make major decisions and then go off in a huff when things do not go their way. Thank God none of them got in.

I teach young people.

by gurgle

Sun Mar 11, 2007 20:32

It's how I put olive oil on my bread. I live somewhere olive oil is not a healthier option to butter but is actually cheaper. The young people I teach no matter how much I tweak their ears, batther them with a leather strap across the back of the legs or whilst shining a bright light in their eyes pump them full of drugs - still have this tic common to most Europeans - they think Sinn Fein is the IRA in suits & that Ireland is one of the British Isles. I try to stop worrying about it & letting it get to me. The university will not look kindly upon the discipline thing if they find out - but thankfully for the moment I'm dealing with sub-missives who are making progress all the same. They now know U2 has 4 members and the historical problem has not been just catholics in Belfast.

If you have never gone beyond an english speaking country you might not have encountered such ignorance. But there are people who for want of a better indoctrination don't know what r-s-f means and couldn't even draw a map of ireland if offered 150euros. They say it that way. euros. not euro. But the EU of 27 states is theirs, and as soon as they get the money they build a pub in your town.

Tribal Beliefs

by ahh

Tue Mar 13, 2007 18:41

Tribal beliefs matter less? Nonsense. We still vote based on whether your green or orange (Dem Unionist or Sinn Fein).

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Media Blackout Gives Expected results

Comments (5 of 5)