The Farmers’ Alliance lost one of its most high-profile members just days before it was announced it was to be added to the list of registered political parties.
On January 12, the Registrar of Political Parties gave notice of its intention to approve an application by the Farmers’ Alliance party to become a registered political party eligible to stand candidates in Ireland’s Dáil, local and European Parliament elections.
Following a 21-day appeal period, it was added as a political party on the updated Register of Political Parties on February 8.
However, Helen O’Sullivan announced she was resigning from the party on January 5, just days before news broke of its application approval.
O’Sullivan is one of two officers authorised to sign authentication certificates of candidates, according to the Register of Political Parties.
In a statement, she said she had left the group, which was formed last year, along with other “core members”.
“As spokesperson and co-founder of Farmers’ Alliance for the past one-and-a-half years, I am saddened to announce my departure from the movement that I tirelessly worked to create.”
However, she said that “due to fundamental disagreements at management and organisational level, it is no longer practical for me to continue with Farmers’ Alliance”.
O’Sullivan said she will now run as an Independent candidate for West Cork.
Party founder Liam McLaughlin, who is the other named officer authorised to sign authentication certificates of candidates, declined to comment when contacted.
It’s the 29th political party to be officially listed on the Register of Political Parties.
The group decided to form a political party last August after much indecision, with the ambition to run candidates in the upcoming local and national elections.
The group announced at the time it would form as a completely independent party with no connection to either the Rural Independent Group of TDs or to Michael Fitzmaurice’s proposed new rural political party.
The leader of the Dutch Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB), Caroline van der Plas, urged the Farmers’ Alliance to form a political party and contest this year’s elections when she addressed them at a meeting in Athlone in April.
The Dutchwoman, whose mother hails from Waterford, said if they put aside their differences, the “citizens will back you”.
Her party won 15 out of 75 seats in local elections last March, but only won seven out of 150 seats in the November national elections.
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