Madam, - I am writing to politely correct a letter from Tony Williams (April 23rd), who asserts that the PDs and the Greens are the only major Irish political parties to involve rank-and-file members in the election of their leaders.
In fact, the Labour Party was the first political party to have its leadership directly elected by the members in both 2002 and 2007. The electoral process within the Labour Party is truly democratic in that there is a one-member one-vote system. In contrast, the PDs' peculiar electoral college process weights the opinion of an Oireachtas member above that of a grassroots activist. It appears that in the PDs some members are more equal than others. - Yours, etc,
PATRICK NULTY,
Greenridge Court,
Mulhuddart,
Dublin 15.