E-voting row sets PDs on collision course with FF

THE Progressive Democrats may be moving towards a rift with its Fianna Fáil coalition partners over the controversial electronic voting system.

A motion at the party’s national conference in Limerick this weekend calls for e-voting to be abandoned and the current paper-based manual system to be retained.

The motion has been proposed by the PD National Executive - this means the debate has been centrally endorsed.

The wording states that the manual system has served Ireland well and has the public’s confidence.

The e-voting motion, if passed, will constitute a rebuff to Fianna Fáil and in particular to the minister who championed e-voting, former PD Martin Cullen.

The voting machines and system, which cost more than e40 million, were introduced by Mr Cullen three years ago amid a blaze of publicity. However, the system was suspended pending an ongoing probe into its reliability.

Senator John Minihan, who will chair the debate, yesterday denied there was any preconceived agenda in relation to e-voting.

He said nothing should be read into the origins of the motion from the national executive, and that the matter would be strictly one for the delegates to decide.

Meanwhile, Tánaiste Mary Harney’s spokesman yesterday denied she was snubbing the Irish Medical Organisation conference in Killarney by not attending.

The spokesman said the only reason Ms Harney was not attending was because of the clash of dates with the PD conference.

Separately, another potentially divisive motion has been proposed during the PD conference.

Sirena Campbell, PD election candidate in Meath, has called on the party to endorse a pre-election pact with Fianna Fáil.

The motion is expected to be opposed. On previous occasions when the PDs forged pre-election alliances, the party performed poorly in the polls.

The PD conference is set to be picketed on Saturday by a group claiming corruption in the legal profession.

Victims of the Legal Profession Society plan a protest. The group was set up in August 2001 to expose “immoral and unethical conduct” by lawyers.

Law Society director Ken Murphy challenged the people behind a website linked to the group to declare their identity.

“If they can justify the outrageous allegations they make then I invite them to do so,” he said.