Fighting extradition - the Ryan campaign

Despite its initial openess, the concept behind the campaign was essentially that of the ‘popular front’ - a unity of right and lett based on “lowest common denosinator’ politics. In these sovesents the politics of the right comes to dominate. 4 classic example was the Crotty campaign in Dublin which was a hostage to the Catholic right.

The effect in the Noonan campaign was less the direct expression of right- wing politics and wore the refusal to define a position or move from what was essentially a sedia campaign to one on the streets and in the factories. People First/Meitheal was riddled with Contradictions, Politically it never came Clean on whether it was a Green caspaign (ironically it would probably have done better if it had) or a broad anti capitalist front. Economically it never espoused a clear anti-capitalist line.

Tattically it refused to confront the evident splits in the main bourgeois parties. Morally it retused to articulate a coherent working-class viewpoint on the nature of the EEC and the possibilities of opposition to it. The refusal to take political positions led to the campaign becoming increasingly dictatorial. fa inner = circle =F non-accountable gurus imposed diluted politics and ruled out broader national questions. Unlike the Fr. Ayan campaign, no public rally or mass meeting was ever held throughout the constivency. [The campaign was based almost exclusively on Cork city for the gore esoteric fringes of West Cork hippydow!. The Fr. Ryan campaign shows a strong anti-imperlalist current asong Munster workers. For its voice to be heard a greater awareness of proletarian danocracy and the dynamics of national resistance needs to be articulated. Is it too puch to hope that next tine the forces within People First/Mertheal will actually consult the working class?

ALAA BRUCE.

EXTRADITION VICTORY IN

MUNSTER

The first concrete evidence that extradition was a4 major issue of concern to the Irish people came to light when Fr. Paddy Ryan addressed =a public meeting of S00 in (Co. Tipperary following fis return from Belgum. To the establishment, who had hoped that this Expression of opposition to collaboration was based on Pareochialism and on the fart that a priest was involved, his Euro —- election vote came as a shock.

As the word came through that the anti-extraditicon vote had topped 30,000 in Pimster the oolitical ‘experts’ and Party leaders live oo TV could not disguise their alarm. Certainly the Fr. Ryan campaign could no of a hindrerence than a help, longer be dismissed as a localised reaction to a native son, The extradition issue had been taken into every corner of Munster including the 3rd and 4th largest cities in the 32 counties. In the Southill area of Limerick City one ballot box gave Fr. Ryan more votes than any other Euro candidate, Neither could the vote be discombed a5 ‘one for the collar’ a5 the major parties had ensured through an intensive pre-election Campaign that the ‘Priest’ tag became sore The capitalist parties had to face the fact that extradition was a major issue mong the | electorate. Even John Cushnahan, former Alliance Leader and success ful Euro-candidate for Fine Gael, openly admitted that a couple of thousand Fine Bae! | supporters had voted Fr. Ryan No.1 and then reverted to their own party. Subsequently | those ‘Ryan transfers’ helped to elect | Cushnahan. Limerick obsever- Peoples femocracy Cllr. Joe Harrington.

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CONTRADICT LONS

The campaign had two contradictory aspects which both explain the large vote and also explain the failure to have the candidate elected. On the one hand, the united sovesent created armund the election Campaign showed just what the unity of anti-imperialists can achieve. In this respect Fr. Ryan played an important role in quickly establishing himsel} as a candidate to be trusted and one who was sensitive to, the various political tendentes that aade up the campaign. This united positive campaign secured a vote beyond its own expectations.

On the other hand a drawback of the campaign was a certain lack of democracy. fo mechanisa owas established to allow the campaign activists to have an input into strategy and tactics. On the practical level the wide = experience = which anti-imperialists have gained in contesting Clectioss over recent years was not tentralised and opportunites for an even gore effective campaign were lost.

At the political level the same applied with the election posters, leaflets, adverts and sanifesto being dram up by a saall core group oor by individuals, Luckily this caused fo Serious divisions in the campaign but, with decisions being handed dow froa above, the possibility was always there.

The closest things came to a revoll was when election workers in some areas refused to handle posters with the slogan; “Defend Irish Values - Vote Fr. Ryan". This was seen as code introducing the politics of clerical righbwingers into the campaign.

Later the sanifesto explained the slogan in teres of “erusion of our orinciples as a Caring peoples" and went on to condesn the “creeping acceptance of economic solutions such as Beef and Butter somtains while people elsewhere were starving”.

BOOST

Fr. Ryan's vote has given a auch needed boost to the anti- extradition campaign in Munster and indeed in all Ireland.

Substantial backing for the campaign case from Dublin and from Belfast where Fr. Des Wilson and others were a constant source of support. Sinn Fein, which had advanced plans to stand candidates in Munster, withdrew in favour of Ryan and diverted the resources it had earmarked for its om Campaign to the new sovesent, Seaeus Healy and his supporters in South Tipperary played a leading role in getting the campaign off the ground. The election campaign allowed the anti extradition @ovesent to be taken to new areas in an organised fashion for the first time, This included Gerry Collins on constituency of Limerick West where Aileen Dillon and Jim McNamee together with some very committed Sinn Fein eesbers and athers to put extradition to the top of the agenda and achieved excellent results.

The basis for a united militant ongoing anti-extradition Campaign at local and national level clearly exists. Over the sumeer period the Munster activists will be seeting to plan future activity in the light of the election results.

JOE HARRINGTON

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