Sinn Fein takes the chairs
Parties who traditionally opposed the election of Sinn Fein
members changed tact and in the past weeks supported SF
candidates for top posts in a number of councils in the Six
Counties.
Lynn Fleming was elected deputy mayor of Derry despite the
ill-tempered protestations of the new DUP mayor, Joe Miller.
Fellow SF councillor, Cathal Crumley, said, ``we will take
whatever measures necessary to ensure that Joe Miller is not
permitted to undermine the civic responsibilities of the
mayoralty by practising the failed bigoted politics of
exclusion.''
In the past the SDLP had opposed Sinn Fein's promotion to the top
posts on Derry council.
Brendan Curran and Sean Clarke won the chairs of Newry and
Mourne, and Omagh councils respectively. And Sinn Féin gained two
vice-chairs on Belfast city council; Tom Hartley, on the Arts
Sub-committee and Gerard O'Neill on the Community and Leisure
Sub-committee.
Ivan Barr, a Strabane councillor, is also the new council chair.
He was elected under an arrangement with the SDLP where the two
parties have agreed to rotate the two top posts.
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