Mayo TD hits back at sharp criticism of his spoiled vote decision
Mayo TD Paul Lawless has hit back at elected members in the county who slammed his decision to spoil his vote in the recent presidential election.
In a statement, he outlined: "It is baffling to me that instead of reflecting on the record levels of spoiled votes and no-shows in this presidential election, some in the political establishment have chosen to wag their fingers at the public and those of us who like much of the public voted according to our dismay of the establishment handling of the presidential mess.
"Over 13% of voters in Mayo alone spoiled their ballot – a staggering figure that should have set alarm bells ringing.
"That was not an accident, nor was it apathy.
"It was a deliberate expression of frustration with a system that has become detached from the people it claims to represent.
"Yet, rather than listen, certain councillors from the government parties – and even those councillors who once wore the Fine Gael badge until they were cast aside – have the audacity to scold the electorate for daring to send a message.
"The arrogance of criticising the people for exercising their democratic right to protest through the ballot box is astounding.
"To lecture voters about democracy while ignoring the clear signal they sent is the very definition of being out of touch.
"Some would prefer to pretend that the public’s dissatisfaction doesn’t exist, that the nomination process is flawless, and that the establishment knows best.
"That kind of thinking is precisely why so many voters felt they had no meaningful choice. It is not a “slur on democracy” to spoil a vote – the real slur is politicians who refuse to hear what the people are saying.
"The people of Mayo and across Ireland have shown they are no longer willing to play along with that charade.
"Instead of condemning the electorate and me for supporting the majority of the electorate who decided, through the actions of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, to either abstain or spoil, those in power should take a long, hard look at why so many voters chose to reject the options they were handed.
"The FF and FG councillors in Mayo County Council decided to spoil the public's right to vote for another candidate when many independents sought their approval to allow them on the ballot before the election.
"A system where Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors dictate who can or cannot even appear on the ballot is no different to the hollow democracy of Communist China – you can vote for whoever you want, so long as they’ve been approved by the establishment first.
"In Mayo, those councillors played their part in shutting the door on potential candidates, unlike in counties such as Tipperary and Kerry where local authorities facilitated nominations.
"That refusal to even allow choice is exactly the kind of lack in democracy that the public protested against with spoiled votes and abstentions.
"Shame on those FF and FG supporting councillors who, even now, neglect to recognise the clear message the people sent."