DUP Cllrs must do decent thing and co-opt Alliance candidate after Stewart scandal

11.25.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 10th Oct 2006

Alliance Leader, David Ford

The Alliance Party has responded to the resignation of Coleraine DUP Councillor Dessie Stewart for electoral fraud by demanding the co-option of Barney Fitzpatrick to Coleraine Council, as he had finished runner-up to the final DUP candidate by a handful of votes.

Party Leader David Ford stated: "Now that Mr Stewart has done the decent thing and resigned from Council for fraudulent electoral activity, his colleagues can do the decent thing and co-opt the Alliance candidate who was runner-up by so few votes to the DUP in the area affected.

"Mr Stewart's colleagues in the DUP in Coleraine know that it was their party which benefited from his activity, to the extent that one of their candidates was elected by the slenderest of margins.

"The only way they can show disapproval of Mr Stewart's criminal actions and a commitment to fair electoral practice is to co-opt the obvious victim of this fraud, Barney Fitzpatrick, to his rightful place on the Council."

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