Anti-austerity Alliance slams Sinn Féin on mayor

The Anti-Austerity Alliance launched a broadside at Sinn Féin last night for supporting Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the election of Cork’s lord mayor.

The party should have made it explicitly clear in their election material that they intended to back Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael candidates for lord mayor under the d’Hondt system, AAA councillor Mick Barry said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Mary Shields was elected mayor on Friday under the terms of a version of the d’Hondt system, which was proposed by Sinn Féin.

Her election was guaranteed just minutes before the vote after a deal was struck between Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, and three Independents to support her election.

“If Friday night’s proceedings at City Hall had been televised, they would have drawn gasps in homes around the city as eight Sinn Féin councillors voted for candidates from the very same Fianna Fáil party that they had campaigned against on the doorsteps a mere two weeks previously,” Mr Barry said.

“People are rightly cynical about establishment politics. Parties from outside the establishment should not add to that cynicism by actions of this kind.”

Sinn Féin council leader Chris O’Leary defended the d’Hondt system, stressed that it has broken the previous pact, and insisted it could be used to turn Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael away from the path of austerity.

“It will ensure that parties, opposed to cuts and austerity, are not squeezed out of the room when it comes to deciding budgets and chairs of committees,” he said.

“D’Hondt respects the mandate given to councillors and, perhaps most importantly, d’Hondt ensures that parties and councillors are not tied into voting in favour of all five budgets at the very start of new council term.”