``Spotlight'' back on SDLP
BBC ignored important evidence
By Martha McClelland
BBC's Spotlight current affairs programme on Tuesday of
last week - which claimed to be investigating electoral
malpractice in the Six Counties - ignored information from a
former senior member of the SDLP that the SDLP engaged in serious
malpractice in Derry.
Spotlight reporter Stephen Walker
engineered a programme which implied that Sinn Féin was
involved in vote-rigging, a claim for which no proof was
presented.
Gerry Murray was chairperson of the SDLP in Derry until, only
three days before the 1993 Council by-election (an election won
easily by Sinn Féin's Cathal Crumley), he resigned from
the party after discovering blatant electoral malpractice. This
event rocked the SDLP at the time.
Murray was approached by Walker during research for the
programme and Murray detailed to Walker the evidence he had.
``Walker contacted me on an ``urgent'' basis,'' said Murray.
``He was totally uninterested in my information about
malpractice. After hearing my evidence, his interest in speaking
to me was gone. I believe it didn't suit his purpose in making
the programme.''
Murray's resignation letter, printed in the Derry Journal at
the time, stated, ``I am appalled that SDLP councillors have been
in possession of confidential postal and proxy vote applications
of approximately 200 Cityside voters.'' At a Council meeting Sinn
Féin's Gerry O hEára named the SDLP councillors
present at a meeting when an Electoral official walked in and
slapped a sheaf of papers on the desk saying ``Here's the
Shinners'' postal votes''. These applications had already been
handed in to the Electoral office and contained confidential
information. The local press recorded a widespread outcry after
the election about denial of postal and proxy votes applied for.
Murray has made an official complaint to the BBC against the
makers of the Spotlight programme. He stated that he has no axe
to grind but accused the programme makers of ``extreme anti-Sinn
Féin bias'' and of being one-sided. ``I decided to go
public on this issue because this programme calls into serious
question the political motivation of those in authority at the
BBC who sanctioned broadcasting such a clearly biased
programme.''
Martin McGuinness described the programme as ``a party
political broadcast on behalf of the SDLP.'' McGuinness said
``This programme was clearly designed to cast doubt on Sinn
Féin's integrity and to try and explain away the growing
electoral mandate of our party. Stephen's Walker's commentary
implied that Sinn Féin was involved in organised electoral
mandate - while producing not one shred of evidence in support of
this claim. The finished programme confirmed our initial
suspicions when Walker first approached us regarding the
programme. Mr Walker told us the purpose of the programme was to
explore the differing political philosophies of the two main
nationalist parties and the reasons for the lack of an electoral
pact. At no time did he tell us that the thrust of the programme
was going to be an exposé of alleged electoral fraud. Nor
did he confront any member of our party with any evidence
supporting such allegations.
``The suppression of [Gerry Murray's] information, which was
easily verifiable - unlike the spurious nature of the allegations
on the programme - demonstrates the blatant dishonesty and
ulterior motives of the programme producers. If the BBC is to
preserve its professed commitment to impartiality and fairness
then it is imperative that it disassociates itself from Stephen
Walker's attempt to unfairly influence the electorate by
manufactured and unsubstantiated allegations. For his part, Mr
Walker must state why he felt compelled not to use the
information supplied by Mr Murray, which would have exposed the
hypocrisy of SDLP members who are driving this smear campaign
against Sinn Féin and our voters.''