This article is from page 12 of the 2013-09-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
AS TOWN councils resume this month for their last ever term, and the county council regroups for the last time in its current format, political parties must now begin to look seriously to next summer’s local elections.
The two largest political parties in the county both agree that the county’s hurling success has somewhat delayed the party conventions and the only sport the people of Clare are interested in these weeks is hurling. The blood sport that is local politics will have to wait another day.
That day for the Government party, Fine Gael is most likely November or perhaps late October as the party are anxious to get the process of selecting their candidates started.
Fine Gael currently has its strongest ever membership in Clare County Council, while also dominating the town councils.
There are also some new names being considered as candidates for the party, with the final election candidates being selected at four different conventions – one for each new Municipal Electoral Area.
Each member of more than two years will have a vote at convention.
Regional organiser Jim McMahon explained that a local committee has been set up to consider dates for the conventions, which they will then propose to the party’s National Ex- ecutive Council.
Fianna Fáil, who are promoting a new look party at every opportunity and insisting there is change since Michael Martin took over as leader of the party, must have their new candidates selected soon too if the public are to get to know the new blood ahead of polling day.
Local representatives are to meet with Mr Martin in Galway on Thursday at his request, followed by a second meeting with the National Director of Elelections Michael Moynihan in Ennis.
Fianna Fáil constituency organiser Michael Neylon said the party intends to have five selection conventions in early to mid-October.
As well as having a convention for the new Ennis, Killaloe and Shannon electoral areas, it plans to have two conventions for the West Clare area dividing the selection process between the outgoing Ennistymon and Kilrush Electoral Areas.
“Our intention and desire is to have a female in each area, even if it is not yet a requirement. Gender balance is very important in itself,” said Mr Neylon.”
“We are looking for a balance of youth and experience and we have to get that if we are in the process of reforming.”
For the first time ever, every Fianna Fáil member of a year or more will have a vote at conventions, with sitting councillors also required to go before the members for selection.