<HTML><PRE>Subj:	RMD971031 Irish news for Friday 31 October
Date:	97-10-31 19:35:32 EST
From:	rmlist-reply@irlnet.com (RM_Distribution)
To:	rmlist-reply@irlnet.com (Multiple recipients of RM_Distribution - Sent by)

     IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP
     Friday, 31 October, 1997


1.   Mary McAleese becomes Irish President
2.   Children attacked by crown forces
3.   Governments must not be bullied - Sinn Fin
4.   Prisoners' relatives picket British embassy
5.   Mowlam washes her hands of discrimination
6.   US First Lady visits Ireland.

_______________________________________________________


>>>> Mary McAleese becomes President of Ireland



McAleese - 574,424 (45.2%)
Banotti - 372,002 (29.3%)
Dana - 175,458 (13.8%)
Roche - 88,423 (7.0%)
Nally - 59,529 (4.7%)


Belfast lawyer Mary McAleese is the Irish President-elect after
the first count of ballots in yesterday's poll.  The first
President from the occupied six counties of northern Ireland has
won a clearer mandate from the Irish people than any other
President, including Eamon De Valera.

The second count, involving the transfers of second prefences of
those who voted for Dana, Roche and Nally, is sure to give
McAleese more than half of the final poll. Her main rivals, Euro
MP Mary Banotti and anti-nuclear campaigner Adi Roche have
conceded defeat.

The Queen's University Pro-VIce Chancellor scored a comprehensive
victory, winning every constituency in the 26 Counties bar a
handful in south Dublin and Wicklow - the "Dublin 4" heartland.
All votes have now been counted, including a number ballot boxes
delayed in the western Aran islands by fog.

The strongest support came from the border constituencies, 
reaching a maximum of 55% in the Sinn Fein-dominated constituency 
of Cavan/Monaghan.

McAleese scored an overall total of 45% compared to her nearest
rival Banotti at 29%, and is now certain to win after the
distribution of second preferences of those who voted for one of
the three trailing candidates.

It was a disastrous result for the Irish "liberal" coalition of
the Labour Party, Democratic Laft and the Greens, whose
candidate, Adi Roche, scored only seven percent of the total.
Roche was beaten into fourth place by Eurovision songstress Dana
who scored a strong 14% after a popular anti-political campaign.
Derek Nally scored only 5% after his campaign became unhinged
after becoming involved in the so-called "Sinn Fein controversy"
which guaranteed McAleese's victory.

Recriminations over the controversy continued today, with
unionist spin-doctor Eoghan Harris sparring with other media
figures over the effect of the leaks.  Harris masterminded an
"anyone but McAleese" campaign after classified Irish government
documents were furnished to Irish newspapers, apparently by
anti-nationalist members of the previous government.  The leaks
and subsequent smear campaign had the dubious goal of
scandalising McAleese's lack of hostility to Sinn Fein at a time
of increasing support for that party's peace strategy.

McAleese is expected to win a total of 60% of the overall vote
after the second count, now underway.  Only 48% of the electorate
turned out to vote for the Presidency, and even less voted in a
simultaneous referendum on cabinet confidentiality.

Counting in the referendum begins tomorrow, and a close result is
predicted.

_______________________________________________________


>>>> Children attacked by crown forces


A sixteen-year old  boy is recovering today after being pushed by
a British soldier through the front window of a hairdresser's
shop.  The incident is the latest in a pattern of harassment of
Catholic children by the crown forces.

In this latest assault, Lurgan teenager Anthony Ganley and
fifteen-year-old friend Kevin Scullion were walking down William
Street in the Co Armagh town shortly before 3pm when they were
stopped and searched by the RUC.

After being allowed to walk on they met an RIR patrol and were
threatened in foul and abusive language by a member of the
patrol. Even though they ignored the comments one soldier ran
after them and pushed them up against the window of a
hairdressers in Lough Street.

Anthony Ganley was then forcibly pushed twice and on the second
occasion the upper half of his body was forced through the window
of the hairdressers.

Customers inside the hairdressers were terrifed by the crash and
began to scream hysterically as the teenager crashed through the
window.

Both boys were taken to hospital on Wednesday morning and were
treated for bruising and abrasions on their back.

Lurgan Sinn Fein councillor John O'Dowd last night claimed said
the incident was "the culmination of an increase in RIR activity
in the area in recent weeks".

Last week, thirteen year-old Sheena Officer was assaulted by an
RUC man during a peaceful Sinn Fein Youth picket in Oldpark in
North Belfast. During the incident, in which the picket was
prevented from reaching Oldpark RUC barracks, RUC men shouted
sectarian abuse at the protesters.

Sinn Fein Councillor for North Belfast, Bobby Lavery described
the RUC as "heavy-handed" and said, "the heavy presence of the
RUC and their attitude to the protest confirms that this force is
totally unacceptable."


_______________________________________________________



>>>> Governments must not be bullied - Sinn Fin


Sinn Fin Party Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin has described
comments last night by unionist leader David Trimble as
indicative of a "dangerous tactical approach" to try to secure "a
pre-determined outcome" to the current peace talks.

In a speech to the Enfield and Southgate Conservative Association
in London, Mr Trimble said the "territorial claim" in the Irish
constitution over the North was "profoundly unsatisfactory" to
his party.

He rejected any possibility that the relevant claim could be
satisfactorily adapted by adding a reference to achieving the
goal of Irish unity "by consent". And he claimed the arrival of
the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, at the talks "marks
another continuity with the failed 1992 talks".

Mr Trimble also criticised the British government's team at the
peace talks, claiming there was "not much profit in talking" to
them when they "appear to accept the continuance of a territorial
claim on part of the United Kingdom."

Mr McLaughlin said there was a heavy onus on the British and
Irish governments not to allow themselves to be bullied by the
Unionists. "David Trimble, who has refused to engage properly in
the talks at Stormont, must not be allowed to dictate the course
of of negotiations," he said.

"His attack on the two governments, and particularly the Irish
government, is an attempt to secure a pre-determined outcome to
the negotiations even before they have properly commenced."

The Sinn Fein Chairman said he was convinced that the vast
majority of nationalists and unionists wanted the peace process
to succeed, but their wishes were being undermined by Mr Trimble.

"Unionists need to be aware that both in his actions and behavior
inside and outside the process David Trimble is undermining that
desire.

"Its time for this dangerous tactical approach by the UUP to end;
for the theatrics to end. Its time Mr. Trimble delivered real
leadership to his section of our people and provide the stability
within unionism which is currently absent."


_______________________________________________________



>>>> Prisoners' relatives picket British embassy


Relatives of Irish political POWs in British jails picketed
outside the British Embassy in Dublintoday  to coincide with a
24-hour fast Republican prisoners will begin on Saturday,  the
6-month anniversary of the Blair government. The prisoners' fast
is intended highlight the lack of movement on the transfer of
Irish political POWs from prisons in England to Ireland.

Relatives spokesperson Martina Shannahan discussed the
frustration of the prisoners and their familes. "In most
jurisdictions it is the recognised practice that prisoners, once
convicted, are held in a prison near their family," she said.
"This is the stated policy of the British and Irish governments
who both signed up to the principle under the European Convention
on the transfer of sentenced prisoners. The convention was
ratified by Britain in 1994 and Ireland in 1995." Shannahan noted
that only six prisoners have been transferred back to Ireland
from Britain under the convention.

Their relatives also suffer tremendously. Traveling to England is
expensive and difficult. Harassment is common both at airports
and in the prison itself. On top of all this, relatives still at
times arrive only to find that their imprisoned relative has been
moved in the night without warning to another prison.

Twenty-six Irish political prisoners are currently being held in
England; all are requesting transfer to Ireland. Five have served
more than 21 years. Six others, who are on remand and are thus
presumed innocent, are held in the Special Secure Units (SSUs),
which have been condemned by international human rights groups
and British physicians. They are subjected to regular
strip-searching and suffer from lack of exercise and intellectual
stimulation. They are denied compassionate parole to visit ill or
dying relatives.

The British government's delay in transfer of Republican
political POWs is in stark contrast to its moves to transfer
Scottish sectarian killer Jason Campbell to a UVF wing of Long
Kesh prison in response to requests by the UVF-allied Progressive
Unionist Party. The proposed transfer plan, which was supported
by British direct ruler in Ireland Marjorie Mowlam, was only
abandoned after massive outcry from Scottish politicians.

The fast being undertaken by the Irish political POWs is a
symptom of growing frustration among prisoners.  Despite promises
of speedier action on transfer requests, both the Irish and
British governments have dragged their feet and allowed the
process of transferring republican prisoners to remain
gridlocked.  Three applications for transfer have sat on British
Home Secretary Jack Straw's desk since February and March this
year, all awaiting his signature.

Shannahan summed up the relatives' concerns for their imprisoned
family members: "Relatives want to know, how long must we wait
before transfers become a reality? The transfer process needs to
be speeded up immediately and this vindictive policy towards
Irish prisoners ended."



_______________________________________________________


>>>> Mowlam washes her hands of discrimination


When Sinn Fein Councillor Chrissie McAuley stood up in Belfast
City council last Friday to question Britain's governor in
Ireland Mo Mowlam about the discrimination being practised
against Sinn Fein by the three unionist parties, Mowlam replied
that she couldn't interfere in the internal affairs of the
council.

McAuley saidt that at the last full council meeting the unionists
overturned decisions made at committee level and voted Sinn Fein
representatives off outside bodies they were previously elected
to.

"The Alliance party went into a pact with the UUP and DUP to
actively overturn these decisions at the last full council
meeting. Sinn Fein has sought legal advice on this latest attempt
by unionists to disenfranchise almost 30,000 voters in Belfast.
We will actively challenge this discrimination," McAuley said.

Alex Maskey pointed out that, contrary to Mowlam's assertion, the
British government had a responsibility for Belfast City Council
and Sinn Fein's exclusion was part of the systematic
discrimination nationalists had suffered over decades.

*  In a joint initiative with British Home Secretary Jack Straw,
Mowlam announced plans yesterday to finally scrap exclusion
orders -- which barred a number of Irish citizens from entering
the occupied six counties --  alongside the power to intern Irish
citizens without trial.


_______________________________________________________


>>>> US First Lady visits Ireland.


Hillary Clinton, the wife of the US President has arrived in
Ireland for a four-day tour that takes her to Dublin, Belfast and
London

Clinton attended a government reception in Dublin on Thursday,
while in Belfast today she spoke at the University of Ulster.

"The United States will continue to do its part in support of the
peace process and my husband remains personally committed to this
effort and those who take risks for peace," she told the
conference at the University of Ulster in memory of Belfast
community worker Joyce McCartan.

She later attended a youth conference, but there was some
disappointment that she did not engage with the youngsters.

A recent US Congressional hearing on the ongoing abuse of human
rights in Ireland by the British forces of occupation may provide
pointers for the Clinton administration. The hearing identified
human rights as central to the current peace process. Congressman
Benjamin Gilman, Chairman of the House Committee on International
Relations, participating in the hearing described the history of
the Six counties as "littered with failed attempts that didn't
address the issue of human rights and the need for parity of
esteem."





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