Fianna Fail Must Run Presidential Candidate: North Tipperary Ogra Fianna Fail

During a recent interactive online meeting of North Tipperary Ogra Fianna Fail, members unanimously called for the party to run a candidate in the October Presidential election.

“It will certainly be a tough election but it is a necessary aspect of renewing and reinvigorating the party that the Fianna Fail machine is out canvassing and uniting behind a national candidate” said Chairman Colm Reddan.

“Another option for the party is to support one of the independent candidates. David Norris’s campaign has taken a recent tumble and he may struggle to get the nomination with Fine Gael who control the majority of local authorities ordering the Councillors to block him. Or of course we (Fianna Fail) could nominate our own candidate and allow members of the parliamentary party a free vote to make up the shortfall of ten or so Oireachtas members needed to nominate Senator Norris. In our opinion he deserves a run.

“There are no candidates on the ballot paper that inspire confidence in young people and Fianna Fail must run a candidate to give people a genuine alternative. It is the purpose of a political party to contest elections and our options now are to continue licking our wounds and possibly become a political non-entity or take this election by the scruff of the neck and continue to be the strong force Fianna Fail has always been in Presidential elections.

“I am optimistic that we will field a candidate. This was the subject of a recent parliamentary party meeting and I understand the majority of the parliamentary party spoke up in favour of running a candidate with strong contributions from Eamon O’Cuiv TD and Senator Mark Daly. The parliamentary party will vote on the issue in coming months. North Tipp Ogra have in the past supported calls for former President of our Ogra Brian Crowley MEP to run for President and we are renewing those calls. Eamon O’Cuiv TD would also be a fantastic candidate promoting the traditional values of the party. And with other parties talking about a new Proclamation for 2016, we feel that they would do well to fulfil the aims of the original 1916 Proclamation first.

“Not running a candidate would be a huge disappointment for party supporters and lending our votes to another candidate would do far worse damage than the set back in the last general election. When times are tough Fianna Fail has always had fight in it and we cannot give up on this election particularly now that people are seeing the promises made by Fine Gael, Labour and even the Taoiseach himself were lies. Whatever they might think, the Irish people aren’t stupid and can see cynicism” concluded Reddan.

For more information or to join North Tipperary Ogra Fianna Fail please email northtippogra@gmail.com or join us on www.facebook.com/ntoff.