Published: Thursday, 10th September, 2009 9:00am

Sinn Fein has a month to nominate replacement for fourth defection

by Editorial Department

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Sinn Fein has until next month's council meeting to nominate a party member to co-opt the Erne West council seat left vacant following the resignation last week of Domhnall O'Cobthaigh.

The Belcoo republican announced during a press conference in Belfast last Friday that he was leaving the party after 12 years to join The Socialist Party and also resigned his Fermanagh District Council seat.

Sinn Fein's Comhairle Ceantar (Office of Order) began the selection process at a meeting in Fermanagh on Tuesday night inviting nominations from various Sinn Fein cumainn to select a candidate.

Once a candidate is agreed, it will then need to be ratified by Sinn Fein's Comhairle Ceantar and Ard Chomhairle before being submitted to the Chief Executive of Fermanagh District Council.

In a statement, Mr O'Cobthaigh said he "struggled to promote the agenda of community empowerment and opposition to neo-liberal economics within Sinn Féin" and said the party is merely "overseeing the long-term administration of senior civil servants and their right-wing agenda."

He is the fourth member of Sinn Fein to defect from the party in Fermanagh in the past two years and intends to work towards bringing about "an alternative and more people-centred politics" to Fermanagh.

In March 2007, he was co-opted to fill the council seat left by Poilin Ui Cathain, who quit over Sinn Fein's decision to support the police.

In the same year Gerry McHugh stood down from the party followed soon after by Bernice Swift although both have retained their council seats as Independents.

The father-of-four who has a degree in Mathematics from Cambridge University, told the Impartial Reporter that although he enjoyed "a happy experience" representing Erne West, he had been considering the move for some time.

"I needed time to reassess the political climate and how it impacted my own political direction. I also was committed to robustly representing local communities through structures like the Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership and the District Police Partnership. As chair of that latter body I did not want to resign and offer any comfort to those who oppose peace so saw out my term - which has only just ended," he said.

Further in his statement he said the current Assembly system only "reinforces the sectarian divisions within our society" and said the main Assembly parties have a "shared right-wing economic agenda and the policies of cuts and privatisation only act to cement sectarian division."

He also reaffirmed his opposition to all groups "who would wish to take us backwards to conflict or who would further increase divisions between sections of the working-class".

Mr O'Cobhthaigh admitted it has been "difficult" given the "many friends he is leaving behind" and said the main thing he learnt over the past two years was that many within the unionist community want change too.

"The sad point is that none of the mainstream parties are delivering on that hope. People need to be told the truth in a way that doesn't obscure the realities and without the political spin. The only obstacle to the agenda of austerity is the people getting properly organised and mobilised around the core issues. People will not stand for cutbacks to health and social services. They want to see a decent standard of living and a future for themselves and their families," he said.

Mr O'Cobthaigh is to hold an open night in Enniskillen Library on Wednesday 16 at 8 pm with The Socialist Party's former candidate in Enniskillen, Paul Dale who is expected to chair the meeting. It will focus on "identifying the core issues on which there is commonality and will seek to build cross-community solidarity."

He continued, "The primary focus must be involving people in demanding real change, about inspiring young people to be involved with shaping a vision of a better society rather than being forced to emigrate or being forced into a lifetime working in low-pay, part-time jobs."

Following Mr O'Cobthaigh's resignation, Fermanagh/South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew said a by-election should be "avoided" at all costs.

"While I disagree with the arguments put forward by Councillor O'Cobhthaigh and am disappointed to lose Domhnall from the team in Fermanagh I respect his decision to step down from the Council and resign from the party. I want to thank Domhnall for his hard work and commitment and wish him well in the future. Fermanagh Sinn Fein is now seeking agreement to co-opt a replacement and avoid a by-election that would cost ratepayers £30,000," she said.

Speaking before Tuesday night's meeting, Fermanagh Sinn Fein President Sean Lynch said if a by-election was forced next month, he would be "confident" Sinn Fein would retain the council seat.