Everything Ulster - Latest comments on When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

beano [Member] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

beano [Member] — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:55:47 +0000

No there wasn't. That's the point of what I'm saying. Sinn Fein could have been the largest party, but as the largest bloc, Unionists would have been entitled to the First Minister position. Under the new rules, as negotiated by the DUP, had SF been the largest party, even with more unionist than nationalist votes, SF would have won the First Minister post.

mark [Visitor] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

mark [Visitor] — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:06:45 +0000

There was a very real threat of a SF First Minister in 2003 if the unionist votes had of been split between the UUP and DUP.

kensei [Visitor] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

kensei [Visitor] — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 04:18:20 +0000

"In any normal democracy they should. In Northern Ireland where everything's about the sectarian headcount and there are (for all intents and purposes) 2 blocs, there was no reason for the DUP to give away the right of the majority community to the First Minister post. It was either amazingly short-sighted or unbelievably deceitful. Time will tell which."

So, to sum, the only reason they shouldn't is sectarian advantage?

junkmale [Visitor] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

junkmale [Visitor] — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:55:37 +0000

Northern Ireland has not had 'true' democracy for a long long time anyway. We are denied the right to vote for or against the party that is in power i.e. Conservative, Labour or Liberal etc.
Until that changes and we are treated the same as the rest of the UK elections here are as you say nothing more than a sectarian head count.

beano [Member] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

beano [Member] — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:21:57 +0000

In any normal democracy they should. In Northern Ireland where everything's about the sectarian headcount and there are (for all intents and purposes) 2 blocs, there was no reason for the DUP to give away the right of the majority community to the First Minister post. It was either amazingly short-sighted or unbelievably deceitful. Time will tell which.

kensei [Visitor] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

kensei [Visitor] — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:51:13 +0000

Why exactly shouldn't the largest part get first minister, exactly?

beano [Member] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

beano [Member] — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 14:55:21 +0000

I think you're right Levee: they're "co-equal" or something like that (like I said, 'normal' and 'democracy' wouldn't be anywhere near it).

Still, there's there's definitely more prestige with the FM than DFM post and it would really send out the wrong message. Not only that, but I don't think the average unionist voter will worry much about the status of FM and DFM - the very idea of a (former?) IRA member as First Minister is frankly abhorrent.

levee [Visitor] in response to: When Party Politicking Pre-empts Principles

levee [Visitor] — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 13:40:03 +0000

Er...I remember reading somewhere recently that the roles of first and deputy first minister are actually equal roles, so it doesn't matter who is first/deputy, they carry the same weight.

Perhaps it's time the DUP stopped dicking the Unionist community about and got down to power sharing.