>From MCELROY@zodiac.rutgers.edu Mon Jul 5 10:33:09 1993 Subject: Sinn Fein Election Summary A People's Victory by Jim Gibney (from An Phoblacht/Republican News. May 27, 1993) During the course of the election campaign it was clear that Sinn Fein's election workers were in excellent form and an upbeat mood prevailed throughout. On the ground it was evident that Sinn Fein's electorate were confident in their support for the republican struggle and the Sinn Fein vote was solid. In a spectacular result, Sinn Fein polled 77,984 votes overall, representing a 10,000 increase from 1989, returning 51 councillors, an overall increase of eight seats. Two by-election victories since 1989 had brought the number of Sinn Fein councillors to 43. Overall, Sinn Fein increased its percentage share of the vote by more that any other party, increasing from 11.2% to 12.5% In West Belfast the percentage vote is even more striking with Sinn Fein polling 47% of the vote and the SDLP slipping to 21%. In the Lower Falls, three out of four Sinn Fein candidates were elected on the first count, polling above the quota by several hundred votes each. The fourth candidate was elected on the second count. Tom Hartley topped the poll with a vote of 2,573, securing more first preference votes than that polled by the entire Workers' Party and Democratic Left put together. Clearly with the 2,000 votes above the quota polled by Sinn Fein's Lower Falls candidates, the party is on the line for taking another seat in this area. In the Upper Falls, Sinn Fein also polled 1,000 extra votes, making the very real possibility of an extra Sinn Fein seat in the area in any forthcoming election. In North Belfast, the seat taken by Sinn Fein in a by-election was consolidated, returning Joe Austin to City Hall. Gerard McGuigan successfully increased Sinn Fein's share of the vote in Castle Ward, while Joe O'Donnell standing in the Pottinger area of the Short Strand narrowly missed securing the seat. In South Belfast, Sean Hayes maintained a solid Sinn Fein vote with loyalist death squads, who have increased sectarian attacks in the Lagan Bank area, failing to intimidate the nationalist electorate. All this bodes ill for the unionist majority of one in Belfast's Council chambers. In Belfast City Hall, the second largest elected body in Ireland (the first being Leinster House, the southern parliament) and the largest elected forum in the Six Counties, Sinn Fein won the largest share of the first preference vote in the city, bringing their number of seats to ten. Sinn Fein is the second largest party in City Hall and the largest nationalist party. All this has to be viewed against the backdrop of a whole alliance of anti-republican forces which include the political, clerical and media establishment. Despite a murder campaign against party activists, censorship, intimidation, harassment, attempts to marginalize Sinn Fein as a party and demonize party workers, in terms of local government elections, last week's results were the best ever for Sinn Fein. Clearly ordinary people have been able to see through the massive propaganda offensive against Sinn Fein. It's a people's victory. Even in areas which had been targeted by loyalist death squads the nationalist electorate, far from being intimidated, turned out in even greater force, and the Sinn Fein vote actually increased. In Magherafelt District Council, for example, where a seat formerly held by Bernard O'Hagan who was gunned down by a loyalist death squad in September 1991, Sinn Fein topped the poll with a 43% increase in first preference votes. Clearly in Mid-Ulster and South Derry the loyalist campaign against Sinn Fein has failed to intimidate either party workers or our support. Dungannon was another tremendous success with Sinn Fein topping the poll in three wards. Francie Molloy topped the poll in Torrent and Raymond McMahon in Clogher Valley. In Dungannon Town, Vincent Kelly, father of IRA Volunteer Paddy Kelly who was assassinated by the SAS in Loughall, polled twice as many votes as Vincent Curry of the SDLP who is as bigoted against Sinn Fein as any unionist councilor. Omagh produced another solid performance returning six councillors and increasing Sinn Fein's share of the vote. This election proves that we have halted the decline of Sinn Fein's vote in this area which we detected during last May's Westminster elections. In Derry, Sinn Fein increased its share of the vote by a third. Sinn Fein had five outgoing councillors and successfully returned five. Sinn Fein gained a new seat but lost another due to a boundary change, so that the overall number of Sinn Fein seats remain the same. In one of the most notoriously anti-nationalist councils in the Six Counties, Lisburn, Sinn Fein topped the polls in Dunmurray Cross area and returned an extra candidate. Sinn Fein has now secured an eighth of the overall vote. Had more of the nationalist electorate transferred to Sinn Fein, we could have secured 72 seats, transforming the political complexion of councils West of the Bann from unionist to nationalist control. Nationalists across the Six Counties need to realize the potential for significant change at local government level if they properly use their preferences. Organizationally Sinn Fein was better prepared for this local government election than previous elections. We spent more time preparing at local and Six County level and the result proves that where we are well organized and give effective leadership locally then we get the results we're entitled to. One of my regrets following last week's tremendous success is that Sheena Campbell was not here to see it. Sheena played a central role in helping to develop our current election programme. As campaign manager, Sheena helped to win a succession of by-elections in Dungannon, Magherafelt and North Belfast and passed on her expertise to those areas and many others. She would have been very proud of our performance. ********** An Phoblacht/Republican News is published by Sinn Fein. It is available by subscription from AP/RN 58 Parnell Square Dublin, 1 Ireland (tel-8733611 fax-733074) or AP/RN 51/55 Falls Road Belfast N. Ireland (tel- 624421 fax-622112) Ireland....35 punts Britain....35 sterling USA........90 dollars