Local Government Elections: Why We Are Standing!
Socialist Republic1981Elections and electoral tacticsPrisoners and the hunger strikesElections and electoral tacticsPrisoners and the hunger strikes
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PD's decision tocontest the May Local Government electionsin the North and to stand candidates in the areas where F itt and Deviin are standing is animportant method of fighting back against the attacks by imperialism.
We wil! be fighting for the defence of the prisoners and political status, against the Britishpresence and against the cutbacks and the economic oppression of Irish workers. Theunity behind Bobby Sands in Fermanagh/ South Tyrone shows the way toward abroadelectoral alliance of all candidates actively supporting the prisoners. Aunited front of all groups and individuals fighting the election onan anti-imperialist and socialist programme would be an even bigger step for ward, CHALLENGE SILENCE The most importantissueis, of course, the fate of the prisoners. The January H-Block/Armagh conference agreed that we would challenge the major Nationalist parties whose silence has helped to confuse the mass of the people in the lasthunger strike. The immediate way for this tobe done is for candidates actively supporting the prisoners to standin the elections.
We must face up to the reality of the situation facing the campaign. The newhunger strike hasnot immediately remobilised the campaign. Many people who sympathize with the prisoners, andeven many who were active inthe last campaign, are confused and demoralisedby the manoeuvres of the main Nationalist parties and the campaign has yet to challenge them successfully and draw these forces into activity. We must be wary of a strategy that leaves the prisoners totally responsible for their own defence and which in practice wouldlead to the campaign being built on the deaths of prisoners.
Anelectoral alliance of candidIn both parts of Irelandelections will soon be takingplace. The Northern local government elections are due for May 21 and Charlie Haughey couldcall an electionin the 26 counties any time between now and June 1982.
PD is standing candidates in the Northern local government elect— ions. Wearealso convinced that itisnecessary toorganizea socialist/anti-imperialist campaign by standing candidates for the 26 Countieselection. Inthe firstofatwopart series, weex— plain the dangers and opportunties which arise in this situation, and how Marxists approach the problems involved.
In tireland, incommon with most developed capitalist countries like the USA, West Germany, Japan, andBritain, elections take place at regular intervals andall that changes are the faces. Capitalists call this democracy and warn that people who want to builda socialist systemare against freedom andliberty. In particular, they try tofrighten usby warning of the restrictions on free debate and expression of opinion which exist in the Soviet Union and other non-capitalist states. Socialist Republicdoes not support abuses like these; as our regular readers will know, we fully support the struggle of the Polish workers against their Stalinist government, and the slanders and threats made against them by Moscow.
CAPITALIST HYPOCRISY But the capitalists whoclaimto be democratic demonstratea considerable amount of hypocrisy. Initshistory, capitalism ates supporting the campaign linked to agitation harassing and exposing its opponents and building newaction committees through the election campaign providesa STORMONT People's Democracy last stoodin
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way Of really developing a strat- egy Of mass action.