“The result of the Icelandic referendum is a fantastic example of people power. For the second time in just over a year the people of Iceland have stood up to their politicians, defied the threats of international bankers, financers and governments, and issued a second resounding ‘No’ to a deal that would nationalise the €4 billion losses of the failed Icesave bank. Almost one in three Icelandic voters opposed the deal even though seventy percent of the parliament supported paying and the government were opposed to even holding a referendum.
“Here in Ireland we are being told that we must put €70 billion into a toxic banking system to compensate gamblers and speculators for their losses. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs, tens of thousands are emigrating, people are struggling to repay mortgages and our public services are collapsing.
“I believe there is a stark alternative before us: Are we going to continue to bow to dictates of ‘the market’ or the European Central Bank, and see our public services privatised, our natural resources auctioned off to the highest bidder and our communities destroyed? Or, are we going to follow the example of the people of Iceland and the bankers and the EU/IMF that we will not pay?
“Last week over three hundred people attended a meeting in Dublin calling for a referendum on the EU/IMF. In a democratic vote at the end of the meeting it was unanimously decided to set up a campaign, ‘Enough’ to fight for a referendum. There is an obvious and overwhelming democratic case for putting an agreement with such profound implications for the economic and social future of our country to a Referendum and in the coming weeks we hope to build a national campaign that will force this government to be accountable to people.”
For information and confirmation:
Richard Boyd Barrett 086-7814520
Sara O’Rourke 087-2886646