Historic Leftwing electoral victory Euro and Local elections

dublin | politics / elections | feature

Saturday June 13, 2009 11:29

by Paula Geraghty

mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

0876101340

The Floor of the RDS for Counting

The election of Joe Higgins as the third MEP elected from Dublin has marked a significant shift in Irish politics. With the Greens now wiped out clinging desperately to a dying government the election results have shown there is an alternative and hope for another Ireland.

Higgins victory reclaims the No to Lisbon vote as a left wing vote and diminishes the ability of the media to pin that on Ganley and Libertas and undermine the next leftwing not to Lisbon Treaty Campaign- that's if the government would dare to re run that referendum.

The first result out of the RDS was the Dublin South Bye-election. The tally's clearly showed a run away success for George Lee, which had probably been reflected in the unrealistic polls of 38% for Fine Gael in previous weeks. Sinn Féin just didn't have the trust. But it had been clear on the doors that Labour would clean up.

The main stories that were focused on were FF wipe out and George Lee. But there's something a lot deeper here. The left got a massive boost and it remains to be seen how long this government will fester away in the Dail pumping resources stolen from our communities into the banking sector.

How will the left re-align itself from here on in? Will the legacy of Tony Gregory be to bail out another corrupt and dubious Fianna Fáil government or will Maureen O'Sullivan decide to join the principled resistance in the Dáil?

The following is a selection of some of the images from the RDS election count on Saturday 6th of June 2009.

images are (c)

George Lee picking up those number 1's

Media frenzy- something to believe in

John Gormley didn't hang around for the carnage

RTE on stage

Henry and Mary Upton, Labour

Maureen O'Sullivan just before she had wone a seat on Dublin City Council. Their group will meet this week to nominate another person to fill this seat as you can't be a TD and a councillor at the same time.