Prospective Labour Senator Maria Cahill
Further to criticism by Catherine McCartney, whose brother Robert was murdered by the IRA in 2005, over the past of Seanad Labour candidate of Maria Cahill.
Mark Malone writes:
Labour’s appointment [of Mairia Cahill as a seand candidate] isn’t just cynical in that it’s a transparent move against Sinn Féin. It is deeply inauthentic in relation to survivors of abuse and those campaigning for a meaning framework for justice and truth in the north.
I can stake no possible claim of understanding the specifics of Mairia Cahills decision to run as a Labour Senator. And its pretty understandable why she wants to land punches on Sinn Féin.
Though if feels and looks like Labour’s play here actually results in creating hierarchies of victims around the ‘troubles.’ This is precisely what is important about the perspective Catherine McCartney bring in her statement. She says:
“It is vital for victims’ families, fighting for truth and justice to be entitled to work with elected representatives who should operate from a position of integrity and independence”
Cahills appointment to the Seanad.
“leave(s) us isolated from those political parties who support this nomination”
In a statement to all sitting TD’s and Senators she expanded on this point.
“I fail to understand how a family like our own can ask political parties to hold SF to account regarding matters of truth and justice, (issues which remain at the forefront of peace process) whilst at the same time those parties ask no questions of Ms Cahill, and provide no answers to the public.”
It‘s up to Labour to disprove the widely held belief that the appointment is really poorly thought out opportunism. Yet that itself wouldn‘t rescue it from a fairly simple truth.
The main political parties in the south, and Labour in this instance hold up the grimness of war, and the very often brutal experiences of our fellow humans on this island, as tokens and faux currency for their own small minded games.
Notes On Labour, Maria Cahill And Catherine McCartney’s Statement (Soundmigration)
(Rollingnews.ie)
