CPPC: This election is our first step in long-term plan

WHILE they may not have registered a beep in recent newspaper polls and look highly unlikely to make up a quota on Friday, the People’s Convention (CPPC), who are fielding four election candidates in Cork, say this Friday’s election is only the first step in their long-term plan.

Their spokesman, Diarmuid Ó Cadhla, readily concedes the election “fell upon us” and the group, which held its first meeting last December, was “nowhere near as well prepared” as they would have liked. However, they fully believe that “we are putting democracy on the map”.

“None of us have any experience of elections and so it has been a learning experience. We are holding a convention meeting on Sunday and at that we will discuss our plan going forward,” said Mr Ó Cadhla. There had been nascent plans to create a more national organisation but again, the sudden nature of the election, put paid to that.

And so the group estimate their election war chest amounted to a paltry €10,000 amongst all four candidates — and the vast bulk of that came from the candidates’ own wallets. It was only in recent days the movement even set up their own bank account.

The CPPC was established with the guiding principle that “sovereignty in Ireland must rest with the people of Ireland and that all affairs of state must be subject to the will of and decision by the people without restriction”.

John Adams, who is running in Cork North Central, is a 47-year-old artist, Claire Cullinane, who is running in Cork East is an image consultant, while Ó Cadhla runs his own IT business. Paddy Bullman, running in Cork East, is currently unemployed.

Each of the candidates have their agenda they want to pursue.

For John Adams, it’s all returning “to our roots”.

“We must make jobs and the economy sustainable, and self-sufficient. We must be able to feed ourselves,” he said.