Maskey & Ó Donnghaile Selected to stand in South & East Belfast
Sitting South Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey and East Belfast Sinn Féin representative
Niall Ó Donnghaile were last night selected to stand as candidates in
South and East Belfast respectively in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking
after the selection convention about being nominated to defend his
South
Belfast seat Alex Maskey said,
"I am honoured to be once again selected by the local Party to represent Sinn
Féin in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the South Belfast area.
"Since
the last Assembly election we have been steadily building and recruiting in
the South Belfast area in order to offer a better service to the whole
community.
"Cleary the problems associated with direct rule have
been acutely felt by the people of South Belfast. Decisions taken by Direct
Rule ministers, decisions on issues such as the Water Tax and rates
increases, have been taken without consultation with local people by
Ministers who are not accountable to the local population.
"The
elections proposed for March is an opportunity to rectify this. It is an
opportunity for people to elect politicians who will be directly accountable
to them, and an opportunity for the people to tell the British Direct Rule
ministers that they don't want the water tax or the rates increases.
"I
am confident that we will go forward in this election with an increased mandate
that will allow us to tackle the issues that are important to the people of
South Belfast; issues such as HMO's, Planning, Residents only parking,
education and health.
"Clearly up until now the DUP have been
reluctant participants in this process. However Sinn Féin are keen to get
down to the business of working with them, and all of the other parties, in
sorting out serious issues like the timetable for the transfer of power on
policing and justice and the departmental model, as well as all of the other
social and economic issues which affect the people here"
Speaking
after being selected to represent the Party in East Belfast Niall Ó
Donnghaile
said,
"It is an honour to be selected to stand for the Party in East
Belfast. Having grown up in the Short Strand I am aware of the many problems
facing the people of East Belfast.
"Recent reports have shown
that sectarianism and discrimination in employment and investment is still
rife throughout the Six Counties. Nowhere is this more evident than in East
Belfast. In my native Short Strand area a recent survey indicated that over
200 new households would be formed in the next few years. Despite this the
relevant government departments and agencies have no strategy to deal with
this impending housing crisis.
"Sinn Féin will continue to work
for all of the people of East Belfast and to build upon our support in the
area to ensure that the people of the area get the best representation
possible". CRÍOCH