Given that the main political parties all supported the Lisbon Treaty, would they consider adopting a measure for Ireland similar to the Treaty's Citizens' Initiative whereby at least a million EU citizens from a significant number of member States could request the EU Commission to bring forward proposals on a particular issue?
Based on the Lisbon model, we could be talking about a minimum of eight thousand citizens from, say, six counties being able to oblige the Cabinet or Dail to consider an issue or for the Government to hold a referendum. Apparently, such a proposal was included in a draft of the 1922 Constitution of the Free State. Citizens' initiatives operate in Switzerland, New Zealand, Estonia and about half the States in the US. A measure along these lines might help bridge the yawning gap exposed by Lisbon between our politicians and the electorate. What issues would readers propose as citizens' initiatives?
I object to being threatened and blackmailed to vote "yes" in the forthcoming Nice referendum. I cannot believe that contingency plans or alternatives have not been prepared by the Commission to cover possible Irish rejection. If these plans don't exist then it is high time that they are prepared. One way or another, they should be presented to us as the alternative to "yes". Let's be clear, a "no" result will not lead to the suspension of progress towards enlargement.
I also object to having to vote twice on Nice while citizens in other EU States are not voting even once on this critical issue. In the interests of honesty, transparency, democracy and equality, why doesn't the Commission conduct and publish the results of quasi-referenda for each of the other EU States? This would help place the Irish result in context.