BY C.J.MCGINLEY
AMID allegations of ‘dirty tricks’ a prominent Fianna Fáil councillor in Letterkenny as resigned from the party.
Councillor Victor Fisher, who has been a member of the party for well over 40 years, resigned in protest at what he termed was the ‘dirty tactics’ used by the party to select candidates for the forthcoming local elections.
An angry Cllr Fisher, said he was ‘completely disillusioned’ with the party after his son, David was not selected to run in the Letterkenny-Milford Electoral Area.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Cllr Fisher, a former Mayor of Letterkenny Town Council, claimed a Senator had told him the Inishowen branch of the party had ‘Dublin’s ear’ while a TD alleged it was the Letterkenny branch who had influenced the selection process.
“I’ve been shafted,” an irate Cllr Fisher said.
“It was a disgraceful way to treat a councillor who has been an elected member of Letterkenny Town Council for over 30 years. After all these years I was never considered to contest the local elections by my party colleagues. My feeling was they believed I was too old,” he added.
Cllr Fisher explained when his son decided to put his name forward he was awaiting a selection convention to take place so he could be selected to run as a candidate.
“Late last week that democratic process was taken away from us in Donegal North East. Unlike every other constituency in the country interviews for selection were held by figures from headquarters instead of a selection convention by the members of the party,”
“The interviews were held by two men from Fianna Fáil headquarters. Hours after the interviews I was notified by another potential candidate of a photograph taken of MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher at his European election launch in Mullingar with a candidate (James Pat McDaid), saying he was a candidate. This was posted on a Facebook page sixteen hours before my son’s interview,” he added.
Fianna Fáil announced on Wednesday that outgoing Councillors Ciaran Brogan and Liam Blaney have been joined by Letterkenny businessman John Watson and James Pat McDaid, captain of 2013 County Senior champions Glenswilly, on the ticket.
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