rebelsyell
9th June 2009, 23:12
European Election OR Sectarian Head Count 2009? Sinn Féin's sitting MEP Bairbre de Brún created Northern Ireland electoral history by topping the poll with 126,184 votes. However, both the Dublin and Irish governments will tonight be pondering nervously about the future of their landmark Good Friday Agreement (Sunningdale Mark II).
The proverbial fly in the ointment comes in the form of Jim Allister, Leader of Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), who polled an astonishing 66,197 first preference votes. The majority of his votes were gained at the expense of his former party the DUP and their candidate Diane Dodds.
Anyone familiar with the political polarisation within Northern Ireland will be well aware that the word European bares little significance with many voters. Instead, all elections, European or otherwise, since the implementation of the world famed (‘truce’) Good Friday Agreement have acted only to further polarize both political tribes. For unfamiliar NI political observers, you must first grasp an understanding of the under currents of colonialism, partition and sectarianism which both, dominate and stifle, the political agenda in Northern Ireland. Also, this has not been a thunderbolt that has just hit our political scene today or yesterday. Many astute Northern Ireland political pundits will agree that unresolved issues have been festering under the surface since that momentous Friday back in 1998. They will also agree rather than dispel old grievances, GFA has only sought to further exacerbate and compound them which has further institutionalised sectarianism within this British state-let. It is not an understatement to say that the Good Friday Agreement has been decaying since its inception, ever since that immortal premise that;
‘Britain has no more strategic interest in Northern Ireland’. Au contraire, we have been witnessing a steady slip to the right manifesting itself in an increasingly dogged expression of British imperialist interest. This rightward shift has been accelerated by increasing unionist reaction coupled with the capitulation of Irish Republican ideology.
to read the full blog post please feel free to visit therebelsyell dot com
The proverbial fly in the ointment comes in the form of Jim Allister, Leader of Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), who polled an astonishing 66,197 first preference votes. The majority of his votes were gained at the expense of his former party the DUP and their candidate Diane Dodds.
Anyone familiar with the political polarisation within Northern Ireland will be well aware that the word European bares little significance with many voters. Instead, all elections, European or otherwise, since the implementation of the world famed (‘truce’) Good Friday Agreement have acted only to further polarize both political tribes. For unfamiliar NI political observers, you must first grasp an understanding of the under currents of colonialism, partition and sectarianism which both, dominate and stifle, the political agenda in Northern Ireland. Also, this has not been a thunderbolt that has just hit our political scene today or yesterday. Many astute Northern Ireland political pundits will agree that unresolved issues have been festering under the surface since that momentous Friday back in 1998. They will also agree rather than dispel old grievances, GFA has only sought to further exacerbate and compound them which has further institutionalised sectarianism within this British state-let. It is not an understatement to say that the Good Friday Agreement has been decaying since its inception, ever since that immortal premise that;
‘Britain has no more strategic interest in Northern Ireland’. Au contraire, we have been witnessing a steady slip to the right manifesting itself in an increasingly dogged expression of British imperialist interest. This rightward shift has been accelerated by increasing unionist reaction coupled with the capitulation of Irish Republican ideology.
to read the full blog post please feel free to visit therebelsyell dot com