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13/04/2010
Electoral Office Writes To TUV Leader
The head of Northern Ireland's electoral authority has refuted claims by Traditional Unionist Jim Allister that his office had deferred a Castlereagh Council By-Election.
In March Mr Allister, the anti-power sharing TUV leader, suggested the DUP had a motive to hold off on an election to replace disgraced councillor Iris Robinson.
He called on the Electoral Office to set a date before the 6 May General Election.
A statement issued by Mr Allister on 16 March read: "I have a challenge for DUP-controlled Castlereagh Council, what advice have officers given to the Electoral Office about their ability or inability to provide the administrative staff for a poll before 6 May?
"Is someone manipulating the process to postpone the poll? It's time the Council came clean on this issue and it is certainly time the voters in Castlereagh were given a date to replace Mrs Robinson."
Chief Electoral Officer Douglas Bain has now written to the TUV leader, having earlier strongly denied any suggestion the 6 May election date had been influenced by the DUP.
"I refute absolutely any suggestion that my decision on the date of the election is being influenced by the DUP," Mr Bain said in his original statement.
"Indeed a person representing Mr Allister has been the only person to contact me about the date of the election."
He has now called on Mr Allister to to correct his assertions, published in a series of TUV press releases.
When contacted last night Mr Allister denied he had challenged Mr Bain's integrity and said he had no such challenge to make.
But he said he had raised legitimate questions about the delay in calling the by-election and had so far not seen a satisfactory explanation.
The council by-election will take place on national polling day next month.
(PR/GK)
In March Mr Allister, the anti-power sharing TUV leader, suggested the DUP had a motive to hold off on an election to replace disgraced councillor Iris Robinson.
He called on the Electoral Office to set a date before the 6 May General Election.
A statement issued by Mr Allister on 16 March read: "I have a challenge for DUP-controlled Castlereagh Council, what advice have officers given to the Electoral Office about their ability or inability to provide the administrative staff for a poll before 6 May?
"Is someone manipulating the process to postpone the poll? It's time the Council came clean on this issue and it is certainly time the voters in Castlereagh were given a date to replace Mrs Robinson."
Chief Electoral Officer Douglas Bain has now written to the TUV leader, having earlier strongly denied any suggestion the 6 May election date had been influenced by the DUP.
"I refute absolutely any suggestion that my decision on the date of the election is being influenced by the DUP," Mr Bain said in his original statement.
"Indeed a person representing Mr Allister has been the only person to contact me about the date of the election."
He has now called on Mr Allister to to correct his assertions, published in a series of TUV press releases.
When contacted last night Mr Allister denied he had challenged Mr Bain's integrity and said he had no such challenge to make.
But he said he had raised legitimate questions about the delay in calling the by-election and had so far not seen a satisfactory explanation.
The council by-election will take place on national polling day next month.
(PR/GK)
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