'Voters in Glengormley are being disenfranchised'
I AM writing to express my concern at the way Newtownabbey Borough Councillors filled the seat vacated by Briege Meehan.
The electors of Glengormley elected a Sinn Fein councillor at the last council election and expected that Newtownabbey Borough Councillors would respect their mandate when they came to fill the seat which was vacated by Briege Meehan. That elected members of Newtownabbey Borough Council chose to ignore the electors of Glengormley's views in this instance has demonstrated a complete disrespect for the people of Glengormley and has effectively disenfranchised the electors of Glengormley.
As I understand it, it is common practice for a member of the outgoing councillor's party to be nominated for the vacant seat and that if there are objections to that party nominating someone then the electors are given the opportunity to express their views. I would therefore like to ask why Newtownabbey Borough Councillors:
1. Ignored the common practice used to fill council vacancies by co-option in the past?
2. If there was an objection to Sinn Fein nominating someone, why weren't the electors of Glengormley given the opportunity to have their say on who should fill the vacancy?
I feel that I and the other electors of Glengormley have been disenfranchised by the actions of Newtownabbey councillors and notwithstanding that, they have already co-opted someone about whom I know absolutely nothing and who has appeared out of the blue. I would ask that you (the council) take steps to respect Sinn Fein's mandate in Glengormley.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Goodman, Hightown (via email).
Editor's note: Officials at Newtownabbey Borough Council have stressed that Mrs Meehan's position on the council was filled in accordance with the regulations set out in the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. Local councillors have pointed out that Sinn Fein failed to put forward a nominee for the vacant council post ahead of the special meeting on April 7 at which the position was filled. They have also highlighted the fact that Sinn Fein had suspended Councillor Meehan from the party several months before she eventually stood down from her post.
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Weather for Newtownabbey
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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