Extending voting rights brings own problems

Reg Empey has rightly pointed out that extending the right to Irish citizens that are not resident in the Republic is “dangerous stuff” and would lead to a vote in Northern Ireland for Dáil Éireann in Dublin.

It beggars belief that Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin was allowed to run as an Irish presidential candidate and at the same time could not cast a vote in the election that he was a candidate in.

All electoral systems say — if you cannot vote, you cannot run. This has spurred on the current situation that wants to give Northern politicians, especially Irish, a bigger vote than they would get. Article 3 of the Irish Constitution is not unlike the old Article 3 before 1998 in wanting a unitary state.

However, the new Article 3 does acknowledge that there are two jurisdictions, and therefore it follows that there will be two systems of elections. This could be a snag for those who want essentially two votes if a presidential vote would lead to a Dáil vote and an MLA vote. Sinn Féin would certainly acquire an increased southern vote, especially around border areas in the Republic.

And it also follows that if a Northern vote could go south, then a Southern vote could to go North. Gerrymandering gone mad, or what?

Maurice Fitzgerald

Shanbally

Co Cork