THE FAMILY of Lurgan republican Colin Duffy announced last night he will not be contesting the European Parliament elections in Northern Ireland.
His eldest daughter Caitríona told a meeting of about 100 supporters that Mr Duffy, who is on remand charged with the Real IRA murders of the two British soldiers, Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey at Masereene British army base in Antrim on March 7th, would not be running.
Ms Duffy said the family had seriously considered mounting a campaign ahead of the June 4th poll but such were the organisational, logistical and financial difficulties that the family decided against staging an election campaign. “Even with the best will in the world and the very limited four-week window available to us we would not be able to mount an effective, well-coordinated, well-resourced campaign required to do justice both to my Dad Colin and all those who have pledged my family their full support. Putting it very simply, time was not on our side,” she said.
The Duffy family was scheduled to make the announcement at a public meeting in the community centre in the nationalist Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan. However as the centre was closed on the instructions of Craigavon Council, and the meeting was held outside the centre in the wind and rain.
Mr Breandán Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Association in Portadown, who also spoke at the meeting, accused unionist councillors of forcing the closure of the centre.
One source said the venue could not be used for political meetings.
Mr Duffy (41) would be legally entitled to run for Northern Ireland’s single European seat. However, were he convicted he would not be entitled to run.
Last week Duffy received assurances in the Belfast High Court that his legal consultations in custody would not be bugged. Lawyers for the Northern Ireland Prison Service confirmed Duffy would be told no covert surveillance would be used against him.
Mr Duffy is also being held on five counts of attempted murder and possession of arms and ammunition in connection with the Real IRA shootings
