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You are > Home > National Western Alliance Party to field six election candidates
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Wednesday, January 30, 2002
National Western Alliance Party to field six election candidates
By Michael Commins
A new political party, The National Western Alliance Party, is being officially registered by the Registrar of Political Parties in Dail Eireann this week. And the secretary of the party, William A. Thomas, confirmed yesterday (Monday) that they intend to field at least six candidates in the approaching General Election.
Mr. Thomas, the chief pioneer behind the "New City" for the West idea which has received substantial coverage over the last two years (proposed for an area around Carracastle, Kilmovee, Urlaur and Lisacul), says they are in "serious negotiations with interesting people" and are confident of fielding candidates in all the constituencies from Donegal down to Galway. It is also understood that Mr. Thomas will be among the runners himself.
"We recognise the day of lobbying for the West of Ireland has come to an end," said Mr. Thomas yesterday (Monday). "It doesn't yield results. Successive generations of people and committees have gone to Dublin looking for infrastructural grants and other kinds of support.
"For too long there have been various lobby groups asking governments and local politicians for help for the entire West of Ireland and for decades nothing was done. False promises, yes, but nothing more. We now can see an opening of technology gaps, age gaps and so on.
"We don't have sufficient electrical power in the region to attract any major interests to the West. The ESB are opposing new developments as they don't have the necessary power. Three new power stations were built in Dublin in the last year. Dublin is padding itself for major investment in the future, they have the power and we don't.
Mr. Thomas, who is Managing Director of Rockwell Shipping International, a company of Defence Consultants with offices at Aengus House, Galway, says the people of the West must have their own party that can share in Government. "It is time for the people of the West to elect their own, in their own party which will be called the National Western Alliance, and to have their power-base in the West, outside of the 'only Dublin' mentality."
A meeting of the new party was held in Knock House Hotel last Saturday where a decision to proceed with the fielding of candidates in the constituencies throughout the province was taken.
"We are looking at candidates for the five Connacht counties and Donegal. I know the sitting TDs and they are fine but when they go to Dublin they get lost in the power base. If the PDs can pull it off with four and have a major influence in government, surely we can make the difference with six in the West," said Mr. Thomas.
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