Dubsky: System stacked against independent candidates

kildare | eu | news report Saturday May 08, 2004 12:05 by Eoin Dubsky info at votedubsky dot com Whitewalls, Ballymoney, Gorey, Co. Wexford (087) 6941060

Peace campaigner and environmentalist Eoin Dubsky is running for election to the European Parliament and he needs your help. Because he is running as an independent candidate in the East (Leinster) constituency for the European election, he needs 60 registered voters from the area to sign up as "assenters" endorsing his campaign. The authorities have made it quite difficult, where you need to sign the nomination form in the County Council head office during office hours next week only , and not including lunch.

The old deposit system (£500 or so?) was found to be unconstitutional. If you're in an Irish political party you just fill out a nomination paper and attach a document from your party saying that you're their candidate. If you're an independent (like me) you need to get 60 "assenters" (registered voters in the constituency) to go into their Local Authority's HQ next week and sign up to endorse your nomination.

The system isn't that independent-friendly, as I was only sent the nomination papers yesterday (Friday) and I've got to leave it in with the returning officer's office of each Local Authority in the constituency (11 in total). If people want to sign up to support me (and hopefully some of you will) they've got to go during office hours, and still they might not catch the returning officer (who in fairness is really busy right now). Then I have to pick up all these nomination papers myself in person on Friday and bring them to the chief returning officer for Leinster.

I don't have the resources - what independent candidate would - to get around to all 11 Local Authority head offices next week, so I'm just concentrating on Wexford, Kilkenny, Wicklow and Kildare. Indeed, the message below is make the rounds (hopefully!) in Co. Kildare this weekend, and I would be grateful if you would pass it on too:

Please take 30 minutes out of your week to support the only MEP candidate who is running on a radical anti-imperialist and environmental platform!

Here's what you need:
· Official photo ID like a driver's license, passport or student ID.
· You must be a registered voter (called "elector") in the constituency. If you've voted before or registered in Co. Kildare you should be fine.
· Bring a friend, or a whole group of people to sign up with you!

Here's what's involved:
5. Take a bus to Kildare County Council Head Office, beside the Naas General Hospital.
6. At the reception explain that you want to sign up as an "assenter" for Eoin Dubsky's European Election nomination. They should direct you to the Local Officer or Registrar (Charlie, Avril Cummins, or Michael Cahill).
7. They'll check your ID against the register of voters, and if it looks okay they'll let you sign up.
8. You're almost done! Now just email, phone or txt Eoin to let him keep track of numbers (email: info@votedubsky.com or phone/txt: 087 6941060).

Ideally try to do this at the very start of the week. There are three European Parliament seats for the Leinster constituency, and Eoin can win one of them with your help. If you have any free time and would like to help out please visit votedubsky.com or phone 087 6941060 to get in touch.