Battle for electiongathers momentum

Sinn Fein have accused dissidents of removing their posters, the SDLP cried foul over their posters disappearing and the UUP/Conservative candidate Harry Hamilton was moving fast at Flush Place

Johnny McGibbon, the election agent for Sinn Fein candidate John O’Dowd, has accused dissidents of tearing down his party’s election posters.

Cllr McGibbon said: “In the 1980s and 90s the UDR and Loyalist paramilitaries ripped down our posters as soon as they went up, in 2010 those who class themselves as dissidents are carrying on that work. It’s a case of different faces, same agenda of preventing a United Ireland at all costs’.”

Mr O’Dowd said: “Local people have told us that those who ripped down the posters are the same group that sprayed local houses, road signs and bus-shelters with pro-dissident graffiti the previous night.

“If these groups, who claim they hold republican political views, have anything to offer the nationalist people they should come out and defend their position. I challenge them to produce their policies in a written format, put up candidates, and stand in this election.

"If they have the interests of the nationalist people at heart then they will seek approval for their actions and accept the democratic decision of the electorate.”

Meanwhile, Upper Bann SDLP candidate Dolores Kelly has said it is "hugely coincidental" that a large number of her posters around Lurgan have vanished while Sinn Fein posters have appeared. Mrs Kelly said she put up posters around Lurgan on Saturday but by Sunday morning "somewhere in the region of 95 per cent of these posters have vanished without trace".

"Strangely, Sinn Fein posters for John O'Dowd have been erected in the exact spots my posters had previously been," she claimed.

"I find it hugely coincidental that Sinn Fein election posters have replaced my posters."

Responding to the accusations Cllr McGibbon said: “Dolores is being delirious and must have very little to offer the electorate in terms of political policy when she has resorted to ‘victimisation’ tactics.

"Every election we hear the same nonsense from the SDLP who appear to believe that everyone is a member of Sinn Fin and in opposition to them. They would be better employed in making direct contact with the electorate than engaging in pathetic stunts.”

Cllr McGibbon concluded, “If I thought that any of our workers were wasting time removing the posters of other parties I would be the first to condemn them and would make sure that they were engaged in more electorally profitable work. Sinn Fin are involved in a serious political challenge for the Upper Bann seat and don’t have time to waste on trivial nonsense.”

At Flush Place UUP/Conservative candidate Harry Hamilton was quick off the mark when one of his posters was placed on the flagpole by an over eager party worker. Harry said he had been following along and noticed the poster's placement and removed it - he said it couldn't have been there more than an hour.

During last year's European election the DUP's Robert Smith showed 'the ugly face of politics' when he was placing a poster for Diane Dodds. The wind caught the poster, which in turn caught the local councillor right in the face causing a nasty cut.