Garvaghy residents have mandate.
Breandan MacCionnaith and Joe Duffy of the Garvaghy Road
Residents Coalition (GRRC) have called on Orange Order and
Unionist political representatives to recognise their democratic
mandate and enter into dialogue to try and resolve the marching
issue in Portadown this year.
MacCionnaith pulled out a remarkable 1,493 votes in Portadown
town, over 200 votes higher than the UUP's front runner, showing
without doubt that he is the representative of the town's
nationalist people.
Welcoming the recent talks between UUP and SDLP leaders David
Trimble and John Hume he added that himself and Joe Duffy are
elected councillors for the nationalist people, specifically the
Garvaghy Road residents and ``those who would call themselves
defenders of democracy should now recognise the integrity of the
ballot box and enter into immediate dialogue on the marching
issue. Nationalists are no longer prepared to accept such
isolation or marginalisation, but are determined to achieve
equality and justice.''
Councillor Duffy said, ``We wish to pay tribute to the Nationalist
electorate who gave us a tremendous mandate on 21 May. They are a
first class people who deserve first class treatment''.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)