Voters urged to abstain

FORMER Shannon Town Commissioner Peter Flannigan is urging people to either abstain from the General Election or spoil their vote.

He told The Clare Champion that not expressing a preference for a candidate is one means by which people could make their views known.
“A number of people who are interested in politics had a meeting with the election coming up, to see if there was anything we could do. There were a number of suggestions and what we honed in on was that a worthwhile protest would be to spoil votes or abstain,” said Mr Flannigan.
He said it would be a peaceful and simple way of making a protest, while he said there are plans to set up a Facebook page urging people in Clare to spoil their votes or abstain.
A group called Spoil Your Vote 2011 Clare Campaign has been formed and in a statement following its launch, Mr Flannigan outlined its views. “The Spoil Your Vote Campaign is planning to highlight its activities in the coming weeks to provide further justification for Clare voters to simply ignore the General Election as a protest. February 25 should become a day of protest for ordinary people, which can be expressed by just not turning up at the polls. Therefore hitting back at the political parties who have created such misery for people.
“The recent MillwardBrowne Lansdowne national poll provides further justification for people to ignore the ballot as 39% of Irish people are worried about losing their jobs this year. Clare people, by ignoring polling day, can send a unique protest message around the whole country, showing nationally that gombeen politicians will not be tolerated in any future government,” he stated.