The Five Demands

Elezioni finite, scrutini ancora in corso nella circoscrizione Fermanagh-South Tyrone.

E’ in corso il terzo riconteggio nella circoscrizione Fermanagh – South Tyrone. Stanotte, incredibilmente, il risultato sorrideva alla candidata dello Sinn Fèin Michelle Gildernew, che stava davanti per soli due voti al candidato indipendente Rodney Connor.
Per la precisione, la Gildernew aveva 21.300 voti a favore, e Connor 21.298. Un episodio simile nel 2001, quando la stessa Gildernew conquistò il seggio per soli 53 voti. Si è detta fiduciosa:  “Abbiamo sempre saputo che sarebbe stato fino al filo, così vedremo cosa la mattina porta con sé.”
Il candidato unionista comune per DUP e UUP, Connor ha riferito: “Sono assolutamente soddisfatto. Non vedo l’ora di essere a  domani per avere la situazione delineata”.
La vittoria della Gildernew, se confermata, porterebbe a quota 5 i seggi dello Sinn Fèin, consolidando il mite successo dei nazionalisti in questa tornata elettorale.

Le dichiarazioni del candidato Sinn Fein, Michelle Gildernew

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Third recount under way in Omagh (BBC News Northern Ireland)
A third recount is under way in Fermanagh/South Tyrone.
The count was suspended at 0430 BST after two recounts in which Michelle Gildernew and Rodney Connor were neck and neck.
After the second recount, Mrs Gildernew, Sinn Fein, was just two votes ahead of independent unionist unity candidate Rodney Connor.
She had 21,300 votes to Mr Connor’s 21,298.
Sources have claimed 36 more ballot papers were counted in Fermanagh South Tyrone than were recorded as having been issued by the Electoral Office.
In addition, it is understood a handful of what have been described as suspect papers have been identified.
There has been no adjudication yet on these ballot papers.
The atmosphere at the count is described as very tense and delicate.
When Mrs Gildernew won the seat by a majority of 53 in 2001 the result had to be upheld in the High Court.
After leaving the count station in the early hours of Friday she said she was “confident that we’re going to come out in the right side of this”.
She added: “We always knew that it was going to be right down to the wire, so we’ll see what the morning brings.”
Mr Connor, a former chief executive of Fermanagh District Council, was standing as an independent after the DUP and Ulster Conservatives and Unionists (UCU) agreed to run a joint unionist candidate.
He said: “We must be at Westminster and I will be fighting as hard as I can and I will be watching the rest of the count and hopefully I will be able to be the voice of the people of Fermanagh South Tyrone at Westminster.”