A SENSE of gratitude and a feeling of belonging is one of the more unusual motives offered by a candidate in the upcoming local elections for their decision to face public approval or rejection.

THOUSANDS of non-nationals won’t be able to vote in the local elections due to a registration problem, immigration support groups claimed yesterday.

A group of non-Irish candidates contesting seats in this year’s local election has accused the Government of failing to encourage immigrants to cast their votes.

FORMER asylum-seeker Dr Taiwo Matthew is to run as an independent candidate in the local elections in Ennis, Co Clare.