Cullen urged to resign from local election campaign

ENVIRONMENT Minister Martin Cullen’s appointment as head of Fianna Fail’s local election campaign calls into question the fairness of the entire election process, the Labour Party said last night.

Claiming the appointment represents a clear conflict of interest, Labour’s environment spokesman, Eamon Gilmore, called on Minister Cullen to stand down.

“The appointment of Minister Martin Cullen, to head Fianna Fail’s local election campaign gives rise to a very significant conflict of interest between his role as head of a political party’s election campaign and the statutory powers and obligations he is called upon to exercise as the government minister with responsibility for overseeing the entire election process.