BY MARK MCKELVEY
At the next round of council elections a new party name will be on the ballot paper as Dr Kieran Deeny has registered as leader of the Independent Health Coalition and intends to have members contesting in various council elections — especially Strabane.
He said that competing in future council elections is a real consideration.
"I think that is what has to be encouraged, it allows us to have a wide geographical spread of the important issues faced in each locality."
He continued to explain this could be a great avenue to highlight the Sion Mills Health Centre issue and the other health issues in this district council area.
"There is a big health issue in the Strabane District Council area in Sion Mills, and there is no reason why we cannot have a candidate for this important issue run for local council," said The West Tyrone Assembly member.
"I will be raising this issue for them in the Assembly but I would be certainly encouraging someone from the Sion Mills area to also stand for council.
"I don't see why in the next council election there isn't a couple of candidates contesting as part of the Independent Health Coalition."
Dr Deeny explained that there are many people interested in health issues across the North and this may now encourage them to come together to contest future elections in not only the various constituencies across the North, but across Britain.
"Just like the Green Party which is based on the environment this party will have as its main priority health and health related issues," he said. "There continues to be endless individuals who enter the political arena because of serious health deficiencies in order to redress these major health concerns.
"Rather than each of us individually ploughing a lone furrow this new party will now give respective candidates, not only throughout the North, but throughout all of the home countries an opportunity or platform to join together with others of a similar mind set and motivation."
He added, "I do believe that, as we evolve more and more into normality and start doing real politics in the North more people will, and should, be given the opportunity to join alternative party's based on the real important issues in life rather than what has occurred in the past — separating completely and to the extremes according to which particular tribe he or she feels they belong to.
"I believe the most important issue for all of us is our own individual health and the health of our people and why not have a party based on this the most important issue of all.
"I intend to roll out this concept across the various countries in the immediate future and over the forthcoming years," added Dr Deeny.
'Rather than each of us individually ploughing a lone furrow this new party will become a platform to join together .'
