DOCSLIB.ORG

How Ireland's Democracy Works and Why Elections Cannot Be Stolen - the Evidence Countday Live Blog Irish Elections 6 June-8 June 2009

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How Ireland's Democracy Works and Why Elections Cannot Be Stolen - the Evidence Countday Live Blog Irish Elections 6 June-8 June 2009 How Ireland's Democracy Works and Why Elections Cannot be Stolen - the evidence Countday Live Blog Irish Elections 6 June-8 June 2009 1 In Irish democratic elections a system of 'tallying' has been developed which has the effect of making fraudulent elections almost impossible. As ballot boxes are gathered together into the count centres, in full view of the 'tallymen' each ballot box in turn is emptied of its votes. The official vote counters then assemble, again in full view of the 'tallymen' each ballot paper into neat piles. While this is done the tallymen note where the votes on each ballot paper have been allocated on a piece of paper using a simple signage system perfected several centuries ago. Once the vote counters have assembled all the votes from all the ballot papers into neat piles and reconciled the number of ballot papers which should be in a ballot box with the number which actually are the real counting takes place. Normally by this time the tallymen's assembled tallies have been computed together and provided each ballot box has had at least 50 of its votes counted a relatively reliable outcome to the election can be provided, usually within an hour of the ballot boxes being opened. Each political party participates in this process and shares resources so that the Tallies, which provide invaluable intelligence to political parties as to which streets exactly votes in which quantities for their candidates (each ballot box will correspond to a known set of streets within a constituency), are shared. As the counters begin the official votes counting tallying continues usually to work out where the voters preferences are falling and who therefore among the candidates who has not reached the quota will get elected next. Way before the official result is known, the tallies become known and it is these tallies for the Irish local government and European parliament elections which are included in this document as and when they arrived in real time to a blog. The following document is evidence of this process as it took place in one election in Ireland in June 2009. In count centres all around Ireland tallymen and citizen journalists SMSd, twittered and blogged the tallies as and when they became known to a central live internet based webblog which was accessed by people all over Ireland and indeed the world. Those accessing the blog could for the very first time in history have almost real time access to the tallies results as they came in. I felt the account thus given of how things turned out as they were reported is worth preserving for several reasons. First, never before had those who were not at actual vote counting centres all around the country actually had access to this information. Second, it is an example of how several forms of new media can coalesce almost spontaneously (thanks to the vision of those who founded this scribblelive account) to exceed by far forms of conventional media purporting to offer the kinds of access to information in real time which today's political anoraks wish and need to have. Third, it is a witness in itself of the extraordinary and hopefully long to be preserved method of counting votes in Irish elections which votes are all cast using ballot papers and not electronically and thus being susceptible to being tallied by people at count centres noting where votes are going as soon as they are removed form the ballot paper boxes. Fourth, it tells the story of an election which saw Fianna Fail the right-wing and corrupt (in all senses of that word) political party which has ruled Ireland practically since independence finally get their comeuppance from a long suffering and hitherto ridiculously loyal electorate as that story unfolded. And fifth it is a witness to democracy in Ireland and using the internet in the new world which is well worth preserving. Thanks to everyone whose texts and twitter tweets and hard work made this document possible, and especially to those (including Alexia Golez, cianflah, SimonMcGarr, Christine Bohan, Suzy Byrne and Fergal Crehan) who not only organised it but also who worked for no pay over the long hours of the counting of votes between Saturday morning at 9 am on June 6th 2009 and (at least) midnight on Sunday/Monday June 7th/8th). • • nothing concrete in Cork City yet .. FF had 13 seats on City Council - party people say they 2 will be pleased if they hold 10.. by PJ Coogan • higgins past 1000 after 10 boxes for castleknock #le09 by barratree via twitter • should mention that thats after the blakestown boxes so very skewed #le09 by barratree via twitter • Gorgeous George seems to be on to a winner #Le09 by damienmulley via twitter • A web cam has been set up in the RTÉ Radio centre - watch the election programmes as they broadcast live from 11am at www.rte.ie/live by RTE_Elections via twitter at 6/6/2009 8:44:24 AM9:44 AM yesterday • #le09 Mary Hanafin admits some FF candidates shrank the FF logo on election posters. understatement of the week. any FF candidate who didnt by igaeilge via twitter • Tallying North Inner City boxes in Central by election-3 horse race in my boxes Bacik, o'sullivan, Donohue #Le09 by aoifecarroll via twitter • Looks like George Lee is walking home in Dublin South... Gorgeous timing George #FG #le09 by MickFealty via twitter • #le09 is there any FF candidate who didn't shrink the party logo? igaeilge.wordpress.com by igaeilge • Tally- Ganley & Higgins , 50-50 in Loughrea boxes by caseyorla via twitter • counting has begun - early indications not promising by adam_douglas3 via twitter • Dub south Lee tally v high with 1/3 boxes open. #le09 by TheEmergency via twitter • will be reportig from my local count and the new V ex Green result. it should be depressing either way #le09 at 1pm by stephencrowley via twitter • Dublin Central - 45% turn out. Only one box open. FG Paschal Donoghue polling 40% out of first box. by Suzy Byrne at 6/6/2009 8:29:42 AM9:29 AM yesterday • 1/3 of boxes open in Dublin South - Lee Polling well - one box is 200plus for Lee, White 91, Brennan 55. (Newstalk) by Suzy Byrne at 6/6/2009 8:27:59 AM9:27 AM yesterday • Details of the RTE/Sunday Independent exit poll carried out with Lansdowne research by will begin to emerge from 11am by RTE_Elections via twitter at 6/6/2009 8:25:24 AM9:25 AM yesterday • Online from the Wicklow County Council Count Centre, will be posting regular updates from the Tally by skearon via twitter • At the opening of the boxes in Letterkenny, looks like it's going to be a long day and ages before we even start to tally by JoeBrennan via twitter • Mary Hasafin on Newstalk admits some FF candidates shrank party logo as stipulated by template for posters. #le09 by TheEmergency via twitter 3 • Counting is geting under way this morning in the local elections and the two bye-elections tinyurl.com by RTE_Elections via twitter • Mary Hanafin said that some candidates made logo smaller than the FF official template. by Suzy Byrne at 6/6/2009 8:21:42 AM9:21 AM yesterday • In review of campaign Brendan O'Brien on Newstalk admits to getting out of his car and measuring the Fianna Fáil election logo to prove it was smaller than in previous years. No tapes needed we all know it was - if it was there at all. by Suzy Byrne at 6/6/2009 8:20:48 AM9:20 AM yesterday • That said, I'm not on hand to see so I'd be wiser to hold back judgment! #le09 by eoinpurcell via twitter • i know lee is going to win, but really 70% of the poll. Those Tallies must be off #le09 by eoinpurcell via twitter • Great stuff PJ - thanks. by Suzy Byrne at 6/6/2009 8:17:16 AM9:17 AM yesterday • sorry for early typos !! Will get the hang of it - should have a tally pattern for Cork City Council by 9.45 by PJ Coogan • At Neptune Stadium .. then moving to City Hall later.. we have reporters at all Cork Ce by PJ Coogan • newstalk reporting 7/10 first pref going to George Lee in Dublin South according to very early tallies by deebdublin • Tally: 7/10 1st prefs for Geo Lee in 1st 10 boxes open in Dublin South byelection #le09 by TheEmergency via twitter • Bye-election in Dublin South - Collective tally - from first 100 boxes 70% going to Lee. by Suzy Byrne at 6/6/2009 8:08:54 AM9:08 AM yesterday • on data entry duty for castleknock ward. Great collective effort here #le09 by barratree via twitter • Doors open in the Waterford Election Sorting office. #LE09 by chistorra via twitter • Morning all - 6 minutes to opening of the boxes. Good luck to all the candidates and tallyers #le09 by Suzy Byrne via twitter • Irish Election Liveblog - bit.ly - or tweet using tag #le09 - other content will be found during day on irishelection.com by Suzy Byrne via twitter • Tis D-day folks. Watch out for @TheEmergemcy throughout Newstalk's results coverage today. #emer #le09 by TheEmergency via twitter • For those who want to plan their day - Newstalk Coverage underway from 10am and runs till 8 pm today. RTE Radio 1 goes on air at 11am. TV beings for one hour at 1 and then from 4 - 6pm. by Suzy Byrne at 6/6/2009 7:57:30 AM8:57 AM yesterday • Good Morning all - we expect things to start getting busy here from 11 am but of course we'll bring you anything we get before then.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Electoral Ward – Dún Laoghaire
    Election of members of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Electoral Ward – Dún Laoghaire The under-mentioned persons have been nominated as a candidate for the above election Name Occupation Party (if any) Name/Address of proposer 1 John Bailey Public Representative Fine Gael Maria Bailey Kilmore, Killiney Road, Killiney, Co Dublin Kilmore, Killiney Road, Killiney, Co Dublin 2 Lorraine Hall Senior Executive, Fine Gael N/A 71 Roseland Avenue, Upper Glenageary IBEC Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin A96 71F9 3 Mary Fayne Public Representative Fine Gael N/A Coolmaine, Sandycove Road, Sandycove, Co. Dublin 4 Melisa Halpin Councillor & Solidarity - People Before N/A 13 Lower Georges Street, Dún Laoghaire, Parliamentary Profit Co. Dublin Assistant 5 Dave O’Keeffe Councillor Solidarity - People Before N/A 116 Cedar Court, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin Profit 6 Ossian Smyth Councillor Green Party N/A 1 Woodlawn Park, Mounttown, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin 7 Michael Merrigan Full Time County Non Party N/A 11 Desmond Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Councillor Dublin, A96 AD76 Election of members of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Electoral Ward – Dún Laoghaire The under-mentioned persons have been nominated as a candidate for the above election Name Occupation Party (if any) Name/Address of proposer 8 Cormac Devlin St. Michael’s, 117 Glenageary Avenue, Public Fianna Fáil N/A Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Representative 9 Justin Moylan 98 St. Begnet’s Villas, Dalkey, Co. Project Manager Fianna Fáil Eileen O’Duffy, 19 The Dublin Village Gate, Dalkey, Co. Dublin 10 Dave Quinn 20 Longford Terrace, Monkstown, Co. Engineer Social Democrat N/A Dublin 11 Juliet O’Connell Business Owner Labour N/A 59 Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Taoiseach Really Needs a Lesson in Checking His Privilege
    Irish Examiner 12 Opinion Friday, 20.10.2017 Our Taoiseach really needs a Established 1841 Abortion law lesson in checking his privilege URELY there was someone Dr Peter Boylan, left, warned of deaths Early vote somewhere, a man even, and Prof Sabaratnam Arulkumaran willing to point out to the Taoiseach that he’s big has little time for our official abortion time storing up trouble with Irish approach. Pictures: Gareth Chaney/Collins women the way that he’s going on. undermines Take one woman, me for instance, sitting for hour after issues. The Harvey Weinstein affair hour watching the Oireachtas com- has been gripping the Western mittee on the Eighth Amendment, world, showing that even the where eminent medics, with world’s richest and seemingly most work to date decades of experience at the front- powerful women, can fall prey to line of obstetrics, make clear the the most horrendous sexual viol- absolute disservice that has been ence. If you’d a lick of political THE all-party Oireachtas committee examining Ireland’s done, and continues to be done, to sense you wouldn’t need a brand abortion law took many people by surprise when it voted Irish women. new communications unit overwhelmingly against retaining the Eighth Amendment In the background bubbling to realise this is a particularly sen- to the Constitution in its present form while still having five away is another box in the teeth for sitive topic at present; that it’s not weeks of debate on the issue to run. women — the controversy over the best optics to be getting all the In doing so, the Committee on the Eighth Amendment to pensions impacting an estimated best boy toys when it comes to the Constitution, as it was formally known, has made itself all 35,000 females who took time out showing yourself in the best light, but redundant.
    [Show full text]
  • Irish Political Review, January, 2011
    Of Morality & Corruption Ireland & Israel Another PD Budget! Brendan Clifford Philip O'Connor Labour Comment page 16 page 23 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW January 2011 Vol.26, No.1 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.25 No.1 ISSN 954-5891 Economic Mindgames Irish Budget 2011 To Default or Not to Default? that is the question facing the Irish democracy at present. In normal circumstances this would be Should Ireland become the first Euro-zone country to renege on its debts? The bank debt considered an awful budget. But the cir- in question has largely been incurred by private institutions of the capitalist system, cumstances are not normal. Our current which. made plenty money for themselves when times were good—which adds a budget deficit has ballooned to 11.6% of piquancy to the choice ahead. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) excluding As Irish Congress of Trade Unions General Secretary David Begg has pointed out, the bank debt (over 30% when the once-off Banks have been reckless. The net foreign debt of the Irish banking sector was 10% of bank recapitalisation is taken into account). Gross Domestic Product in 2003. By 2008 it had risen to 60%. And he adds: "They lied Our State debt to GDP is set to increase to about their exposure" (Irish Times, 13.12.10). just over 100% in the coming years. A few When the world financial crisis sapped investor confidence, and cut off the supply of years ago our State debt was one of the funds to banks across the world, the Irish banks threatened to become insolvent as private lowest, but now it is one of the highest, institutions.
    [Show full text]
  • Seanad Éireann
    Vol. 250 Wednesday, No. 6 23 February 2017 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 23/02/2017A00100Business of Seanad 371 23/02/2017A00225Commencement Matters 372 23/02/2017A00250Schools Building Projects �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������372 23/02/2017B00400Road Projects 373 23/02/2017C00400General Register Office 375 23/02/2017D00400Cancer Services Provision 377 23/02/2017G00100Order of Business 380 23/02/2017L01700Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: First Stage ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������390 23/02/2017M00100Establishment of Special Committee on Withdrawal of United Kingdom from European Union: Motion 390 23/02/2017M00500Business of Seanad 392 23/02/2017W00100The Diaspora: Statements �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������392 SEANAD ÉIREANN Déardaoin, 23 Feabhra 2017
    [Show full text]
  • Aguisíní Appendices Aguisín 1: Comóradh Céad Bliain Ollscoil Na Héireann Appendix 1: Centenary of the National University of Ireland
    Aguisíní Appendices Aguisín 1: Comóradh Céad Bliain Ollscoil na hÉireann Appendix 1: Centenary of the National University of Ireland Píosa reachtaíochta stairiúil ab ea Acht Ollscoileanna na hÉireann, 1908, a chuir deireadh go foirmeálta le tréimhse shuaite in oideachas tríú leibhéal na hEireann agus a d’oscail caibidil nua agus nuálaíoch: a bhunaigh dhá ollscoil ar leith – ceann amháin díobh i mBéal Feirste, in ionad sean-Choláiste na Ríona den Ollscoil Ríoga, agus an ceann eile lárnaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath, ollscoil fheidearálach ina raibh coláistí na hOllscoile Ríoga de Bhaile Átha Cliath, Corcaigh agus Gaillimh, athchumtha mar Chomh-Choláistí d’Ollscoil nua na hÉirean,. Sa bhliain 2008, rinne OÉ ceiliúradh ar chéad bliain ar an saol. Is iomaí athrú suntasach a a tharla thar na mblianta, go háiriithe nuair a ritheadh Acht na nOllscoileanna i 1997, a rinneadh na Comh-Choláistí i mBaile Átha Cliath, Corcaigh agus Gaillimh a athbhunú mar Chomh-Ollscoileanna, agus a rinneadh an Coláiste Aitheanta (Coláiste Phádraig, Má Nuad) a athstruchtúrú mar Ollscoil na hÉireann, Má Nuad – Comh-Ollscoil nua. Cuireadh tús le comóradh an chéid ar an 3 Nollaig 2007 agus chríochnaigh an ceiliúradh le mórchomhdháil agus bronnadh céime speisialta ar an 3 Nollaig 2008. Comóradh céad bliain ón gcéad chruinniú de Sheanad OÉ ar an lá céanna a nochtaíodh protráid den Seansailéirm, an Dr. Garret FitzGerald. Tá liosta de na hócáidí ar fad thíos. The Irish Universities Act 1908 was a historic piece of legislation, formally closing a turbulent chapter in Irish third level education and opening a new and innovational chapter: establishing two separate universities, one in Belfast, replacing the old Queen’s College of the Royal University, the other with its seat in Dublin, a federal university comprising the Royal University colleges of Dublin, Cork and Galway, re-structured as Constituent Colleges of the new National University of Ireland.
    [Show full text]
  • Sunday Times /Behaviour & Attitudes European Elections May 2014
    Sunday Times /Behaviour & Attitudes European Elections May 2014 Opinion Poll 3rd – 15th May, 2014 Prepared for Prepared by Ian McShane J.5607 Technical Appendix 2 Technical Appendix ● The results of this opinion poll are based upon a representative sample of 1,545 eligible Irish voters aged 18 years +. ● A separate questionnaire was produced for each of three regions to take the three separate European Election constituencies into account. The number of interviews upon which the representative samples of eligible voters in each constituency is based is as follows: Dublin Constituency 521 Midlands-North-West 513 South Constituency 511 ● As such, the results for each constituency can be deemed to be accurate to within plus or minus 4.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. ● Fieldwork was conducted over the period 3rd – 14th May, 2014 with interviewing carried out at the Behaviour & Attitudes Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) Unit at Milltown House in Dublin. ● Interviewing was conducted across all electoral constituencies in the country with households selected for interview by way of Random Digit Dialling (RDD). ● The sample is split across RDD landline numbers and RDD mobile telephone numbers, so as to ensure that individuals living in landline only households, mobile only households, and households with both a landline and mobile telephone are represented in their correct proportions. 3 Technical Appendix ● The subsequent survey results are weighted to reflect the known demographic profile of Irish adults, utilising the most recently published census population estimates from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). ● All aspects of the survey, including the Party Support adjustment factor, are implemented in accordance with the technical and ethical guidelines set down by the Association of Irish Market Research Organisations (AIMRO) and the European Society of Opinion & Market Research (ESOMAR).
    [Show full text]
  • 1. Debbie Abrahams, Labour Party, United Kingdom 2
    1. Debbie Abrahams, Labour Party, United Kingdom 2. Malik Ben Achour, PS, Belgium 3. Tina Acketoft, Liberal Party, Sweden 4. Senator Fatima Ahallouch, PS, Belgium 5. Lord Nazir Ahmed, Non-affiliated, United Kingdom 6. Senator Alberto Airola, M5S, Italy 7. Hussein al-Taee, Social Democratic Party, Finland 8. Éric Alauzet, La République en Marche, France 9. Patricia Blanquer Alcaraz, Socialist Party, Spain 10. Lord John Alderdice, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom 11. Felipe Jesús Sicilia Alférez, Socialist Party, Spain 12. Senator Alessandro Alfieri, PD, Italy 13. François Alfonsi, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (France) 14. Amira Mohamed Ali, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group, Die Linke, Germany 15. Rushanara Ali, Labour Party, United Kingdom 16. Tahir Ali, Labour Party, United Kingdom 17. Mahir Alkaya, Spokesperson for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Socialist Party, the Netherlands 18. Senator Josefina Bueno Alonso, Socialist Party, Spain 19. Lord David Alton of Liverpool, Crossbench, United Kingdom 20. Patxi López Álvarez, Socialist Party, Spain 21. Nacho Sánchez Amor, S&D, European Parliament (Spain) 22. Luise Amtsberg, Green Party, Germany 23. Senator Bert Anciaux, sp.a, Belgium 24. Rt Hon Michael Ancram, the Marquess of Lothian, Former Chairman of the Conservative Party, Conservative Party, United Kingdom 25. Karin Andersen, Socialist Left Party, Norway 26. Kirsten Normann Andersen, Socialist People’s Party (SF), Denmark 27. Theresa Berg Andersen, Socialist People’s Party (SF), Denmark 28. Rasmus Andresen, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Germany) 29. Lord David Anderson of Ipswich QC, Crossbench, United Kingdom 30. Barry Andrews, Renew Europe, European Parliament (Ireland) 31. Chris Andrews, Sinn Féin, Ireland 32. Eric Andrieu, S&D, European Parliament (France) 33.
    [Show full text]
  • The Totality of UK-Irish Relations Is at Risk Because of Brexit Page 1 of 4
    LSE Brexit: The totality of UK-Irish relations is at risk because of Brexit Page 1 of 4 The totality of UK-Irish relations is at risk because of Brexit The European Union was a crucial element of the totality of UK-Irish relationships that would allow for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, writes Darren Litter (Queen’s University Belfast). The UK and Ireland’s historic achievement of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA) is most synonymous with the inter-prime ministerial partnership of Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. More than any of their predecessors, Blair and Ahern got on together, shared a common understanding of the ‘Northern Ireland problem’, and were determined to approach this issue in the fully intergovernmental spirit envisaged originally by the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). However – while indispensable to the efficiency and effectiveness with which the GFA was achieved – this emphasis on the Blair-Ahern partnership serves to take away from the importance of the wider totality of UK-Irish relationships – principally in the EU context – that was no longer a matter of rhetoric by the mid-1990s. This, as we shall see, contrasts with the post-Brexit state of play, where the totality of UK-Irish relations has again taken on the much less resonant meaning from when it was first introduced into the Anglo-Irish discourse at the height of the Northern Ireland conflict. Date originally posted: 2021-04-13 Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2021/04/13/the-totality-of-uk-irish-relations/ Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/ LSE Brexit: The totality of UK-Irish relations is at risk because of Brexit Page 2 of 4 Image by Philip Storry (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
    [Show full text]
  • Shots Were Fired | Norient.Com 1 Oct 2021 02:06:01 Shots Were Fired MIXTAPE by Bernard Clarke
    Shots Were Fired | norient.com 1 Oct 2021 02:06:01 Shots Were Fired MIXTAPE by Bernard Clarke War is the biggest and most horrible drama of human kind. Yet the noises of war – everything from swords clanging to modern machine guns and bombs – have fascinated musicians and composers for centuries. For his mix «shots were fired» for the section «war» from the Norient exhibition Seismographic Sounds the Irish radio journalist Bernard Clarke combined radio news samples with musically deconstructed war sounds. «shots were fired» is a deeply personal response to a tragedy and farce played out in a Paris dripping with blood and a media whipping up a frenzy; to and of the forgotten victims in France and around the world; and of and to the so-called world leaders who seized on this outrage for a media opportunity, a «selfie». Western societies are not the havens of rationalism that they often proclaim themselves to be. The West is a polychromatic space, in which both freedom of thought and tightly regulated speech exist, and in which disavowals of deadly violence happen at the same time as clandestine torture. And yet, at moments when Western societies consider themselves under attack, the discourse is quickly dominated by an ahistorical fantasy of long- suffering fortitude in the face of provocation. Yet European and American history are so strongly marked by efforts to control speech that the persecution of rebellious thought stands as a bedrock of these societies. Witch burnings, heresy trials, and the untiring work of the Inquisition shaped Europe, and these ideas extended into American history as well and took on American modes, from the breaking of slaves to the genocide of American Indians to censuring of critics of «Operation Iraqi Freedom».
    [Show full text]
  • Brief Amicus Curiae of the Senate of the United Mexican States, Et
    No. 08-987 IN THE RUBEN CAMPA, RENE GONZALEZ, ANTONIO GUERRERO, GERARDO HERNANDEZ, AND LUIS MEDINA, Petitioners, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondent. On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI ON BEHALF OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF PANAMA, MARY ROBINSON (UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, 1997- 2002; PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, 1992-1997) AND LEGISLATORS FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNTRIES OF BRAZIL, BELGIUM, CHILE, GERMANY, IRELAND, JAPAN, MEXICO, SCOTLAND AND THE UNITED KINGDOM ______________ Michael Avery Counsel of Record Suffolk Law School 120 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02108 617-573-8551 ii AMICI CURIAE The Senate of the United Mexican States The National Assembly of Panama Mary Robinson (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1997-2002; President of Ireland, 1992-1997) Legislators from the European Parliament Josep Borrell Fontelles, former President Enrique Barón Crespo, former President Miguel Ángel Martínez, Vice-President Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Vice-President Luisa Morgantini, Vice-President Mia De Vits, Quaestor Jo Leinen, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs Richard Howitt, Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights Guisto Catania, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Willy Meyer Pleite, Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly Edite Estrela, Vice-Chair
    [Show full text]
  • Statement to the Oireachtas Committee of Inquiry Into the Banking Crisis in Ireland Ed Mulhall
    Statement to the Oireachtas Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis in Ireland Ed Mulhall The starting premise for a discussion of RTÉ's editorial policy on the coverage of any area of public interest is that there is no single expression of it. RTÉ's output is based on a set of principles which are derived from its statutory obligations. These principles form the framework for editorial decision making and there is an editorial structure in place to monitor, discuss and challenge the editorial selections being made so as to ensure they are being adhered to. In addition, all RTÉ's activities are subject to a regulatory structure to ensure that the organisation is meeting its public service obligations. Those working in editorial roles in RTÉ operate under a shared understanding of RTÉ’s obligations under various statutes, notably the 1976 Broadcasting Act as amended and the 2009 Broadcasting Act. In RTÉ News, this translates into a very simple premise: inform the audience in the public interest. The political scientist Jean Blondel - in an essay written in honour of the late RTÉ broadcaster Brian Farrell - calls the role to inform the noblest of tasks because it is the most difficult. It requires the reporting of facts, sometimes the establishment of facts, their selection according to their importance and the presentation of them with related material to allow their meaning or significance to be understood. What is important to report in the public interest is a constantly evolving question that is impacted on by events and does not adhere to any fixed state of national consensus.
    [Show full text]
  • Survey: English
    The Economic and Social Research Institute 4 Burlington Road Dublin 4 Ph. 6671525 IRISH ELECTION SURVEY, SUMMER 2002 Interviewer’s Name ____________________ Interviewer’s Number Constituency Code Area Code Respondent Code Date of Interview: Day Month Time Interview Began (24hr clock) Introduction (Ask for named respondent) Good morning/afternoon/evening. I am from the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin. We have been commissioned by a team of researchers from Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin to carry out a survey into the way people voted in the recent general election. You have been selected at random from the Electoral Register to participate in the survey. The interview will take about 60 minutes to complete and all information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence by the Economic and Social Research Institute. It will not be possible for anyone to identify your individual views or attitudes from the analysis undertaken on the data. __________________________________________________________________________________ SECTION A A1 First, I’d like to ask you a general question. What do you think has been the single most important issue facing Ireland over the last five years? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A2 How good or bad a job do you think the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrat government did over the past five years in terms of _______________________ [the Main issue mentioned at A1 above]. Did they do a: Very Good Job......... 1 Good Job ......... 2 Bad Job ..... 3 Very Bad Job…… 4 Don’t know ..... 5 A3.1a Looking back on the recent general election campaign in May of this year, could you tell me if a candidate called to your home? Yes ......
    [Show full text]