The Workers’ Party have said that the democratic verdict of the Irish people in Thursday’s referendum must be respected, regardless of which side wins.

Padraig Mannion, the party’s Lisbon Treaty campaign director said that in all previous referendums on the European Union the Workers’ Party had accepted and respected the outcome, even when this went against the party.   There is an onus, he said, on the two sides in the Lisbon Treaty referendum to make clear that they will accept the result.

“The re-running of the Nice Treaty referendum after the Irish people democratically voted to reject that treaty in 2000 was the lowest point in modern Ireland’s electoral history.  It was a total negation of the rights of the people, as enshrined in the Irish Constitution, and must not be repeated.  The government and all of the Yes campaign, including the institutions of the European Union, must respect the outcome of this referendum if it goes against them, as we guarantee to respect the result if the people vote Yes”.

“There can be no question of a re-run of the Lisbon Treaty referendum, especially as the present campaign has been one of the most divisive referendums since the fraught campaigns of the 1980s. Democracy must prevail and the will of the people must be respected, whichever way the referendum goes”, said Padraig Mannion.

Issued Tuesday, 10th June 2008