Greens urge party TDs to reject NAMA
Wednesday August 26 2009
GREEN Party TDs and councillors are wading through a deluge of emails from angry members begging them to oppose the NAMA plan.
Under a highly organised and pro-active campaign by the anti-NAMA section within the party, dozens of emails are being sent to ministers, TDs and councillors on a daily basis.
Last night, a private meeting of a small number of councillors and unsuccessful election candidates took place in Dublin in an effort to tease out the complex NAMA proposals ahead of two special party conventions.
The first will take place on September 12, followed by another convention in October when members will vote on the "bad bank" proposal.
If two-thirds of the party's members vote against NAMA, the parliamentary party would be prevented from supporting the legislation in a Dail vote -- a move that would spell disaster for the Fianna Fail/Green Party coalition.
Pressure
Ministers John Gormley and Eamon Ryan are under increased pressure to obtain "significant changes" that would minimise the risk to the taxpayer.
Such changes would boost support for NAMA among members but there is a section of the party who now advocate temporary nationalisation and are resolutely opposed to the bad bank proposal.
The emotive anti-NAMA emails, some of which are very similar in their arguments, generally conclude by asking the elected representative if he or she will oppose or support the NAMA proposal at the party's conventions.
The party's economic spokesman, senator Dan Boyle, is understood to be replying to many of them.
In one, the Greens are urged not to allow Fianna Fail to commit the "greatest robbery" of the Irish people in the history of the State.
The emailers claim NAMA is the biggest decision ever to confront the country, and urge the party hierarchy to stop it from progressing.
- Aine Kerr Political Correspondent
