Every vote will count in IFA elections in April
IFA National Returning Officer Jer Bergin has encouraged farmers to attend the Association’s election debates over the next seven weeks, before members vote in April to elect a new President, Deputy President, and regional chairmen.
Mr Bergin said the debates around the country are an opportunity for members to hear from the candidates, and participate in an open forum discussion on farming issues.
What is the significance of the change from weighted branch vote to One Member One Vote (OMOV) for the election of the next President and Deputy President?
The Executive Council decided at last week’s meeting to hold the next election for the IFA President and Deputy President under One Member One Vote (OMOV).
It means that each vote, irrespective of which of our 947 branches a member is attached to, will have the same value.
Voting will take place in the first two weeks of April.
It replaces the weighted system which meant that whichever candidate won the most votes in a branch was awarded the branch vote in full.
The number of votes they received depended on the turnout.
The IFA election is unique as it allows every member the opportunity to hear what candidates are offering, and then they have a vote in the national contest.
Explain the existing system of Regional Chairman election by the County Executives within each region?
The election of Regional Chairman is different in that it operates on the basis that members of each County Executive in a region decide who should fill the role.
This system was introduced before the national elections in 2013.
At the moment, there will be a contest for the position of Munster Regional Chairman. John Coughlan from North Cork and John O’Brien from Central are nominated.
Munster has nine County Executives: Clare, Cork Central, North Cork, West Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary North, Tipperary South and Waterford.
Each County Executive will hold a meeting at which the candidates will make a presentation and the vote will be held.
The outgoing Chairmen in South Leinster and Ulster/North Leinster, James Murphy and Bert Stewart respectively, have been returned unopposed, and will serve for the next two years.
The deadline for nominations for the Connacht Regional Chairman will close tomorrow.
The two two-year terms for all national officer positions is also new, what was the previous rule?
The two two-year terms had existed until the Dowling Review of 2005, which recommended that it should be changed to four years.
In January, the Executive Council agreed in principle to move to two two-year terms to allow full elections to take place in April for the positions of President, Deputy President, Returning Officer and Regional Chairman.
This was formally voted upon last week at an Ordinary Meeting and a Special Meeting of the Executive Council.
Proxy voting at the Presidential and Deputy Presidential elections is being dropped. How did it work?
In the past, members who were unable to attend their branch meeting when the vote was being held would send somebody, usually a family member, in their place.
The Executive Council has decided not to allow this for the national elections taking place in April.
Any new dates for the debates in the 29 County Executives?
Our election debates began on Monday night in Tipperary North.
We have held two debates in Cork since then, and the three candidates will be attending a debate hosted by the Waterford IFA Executive tonight.
Next week will see debates held in North Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Clare.
Four debates will be held each week between now and the end of March. Every county will hold a meeting before votes are cast in April.
The debates will give our members an opportunity to hear the candidates, who are IFA National Livestock Chairman Henry Burns; IFA Farm Business representative from Galway, Joe Healy; and IFA Rural Development Chairman Flor McCarthy.
They will set out their plans for the IFA Presidency, and members will question them closely on how they would lead the Association.
Members will also hear from the candidates for the IFA Deputy Presidency.
They are Kildare IFA Chairman Pat Farrell; former IFA Dairy Chairman Richard Kennedy; and IFA Poultry Chairman Nigel Renaghan.
The National Count will be held in April, and the 15th President of the Irish Farmers Association will take up office at the Annual General Meeting which follows.
