SF bid for cross-border voting rights

The youth wing of the Sinn Féin party today launched a campaign to secure cross-border voting rights in this year’s election for the President of Ireland.

Polling for the position of head of state in Ireland is scheduled for later this year.

The current president, Northern Ireland-born Mary McAleese, has still to indicate whether she will run again.

Ogra Sinn Féin initiated their bid for votes in the contest for Irish citizens based in the six counties of Northern Ireland at their national congress in Dublin today.

The move was endorsed by senior Belfast-based Sinn Féin figure Gerry Kelly, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He claimed at the congress: “The Irish government had stalled long enough. It is long past time that they bring forward the necessary legislation to allow Irish citizens in the Six Counties to vote in the 2004 Presidential election.

“People in the Six Counties cannot vote for the President of Ireland - indeed, the current President, Mary McAleese, could not vote for herself.

“For many years now Sinn Féin has been lobbying intensively for Northern participation in the political life of the nation.”

Mr Kelly added: “The Irish government has failed to act on this issue for long enough. It is long past time that they bring forward the necessary legislation to allow Irish citizens in the Six Counties to vote in the 2004 Presidential election.

“It is an important part of the peace process and a natural outworking of the Good Friday Agreement.”

Ogra Sinn Féin spokesman Eamon Conway said: “At present, we have a president who was born in Belfast. But the very people who grew up with her – and still live in Belfast – could not vote for her.”