BY MICHELE CANNING SMITH

FRANTIC EFFORTS were underway this week by the SDLP to limit the damage of the party's selection convention in West Tyrone, in which the sitting MLA from Strabane was dumped in a tussle for votes between rival contenders from Omagh.

Eugene McMenamin, a twice returned MLA, was inadvertently ousted from the ticket on Sunday night by his own constituency convention in favour of Omagh GP Jo Deehan and retired Sixmilecross teacher Seamus Shields. The two Omagh district candidates were the only names chosen to stand in the elections scheduled for March 7 – elections which look increasingly unlikely with current political wranglings.

But the damage control at party headquarters culminated yesterday (Wednesday) in a decision to put Mr McMenamin back on the ticket.

That decision was announced by Eugene McMenamin after headquarters had stated a day earlier that it would take one week before any decision would be ratified. However, SDLP headquarters did confirm yesterday that the MLA has now been officially included on the ticket

Red-faced party officials were forced to intervene in West Tyrone after its sitting MLA was effectively dumped on Sunday night last at the selection convention in the Mellon Country Hotel. At that gathering, Dr Deehan and Cllr Shields each received 42 votes, with Mr McMenamin coming in third with 28 votes.

As news leaked through on Monday morning, an unsigned statement was released from the e-mail address of a former SDLP officer. It read, "McMenamin to run as an independent Nationalist after deselection at SDLP selection convention."

However, Mr McMenamin released a very different and brief statement on Monday afternoon. In it, he said, "I will be making a formal statement next week. I will be consulting with local party workers and my electorate in the interim. As regards my candidacy for the forthcoming March election, matters are as yet unresolved and will become clearer in the coming days."

It was then rumoured that McMenamin may have appealed the constituency party decision to the party's central sub-committee of the Executive Committee (made up of the party leader, deputy leader and officer board).

A sub-committee looks at the overall selection process once an appeal was lodged. It would then go to the Executive Committee.

One party source said, "It is not impossible that the Executive Committee would put someone back on the ticket but it is a rare occurrence. Mr McMenamin, as a twice returned MLA, could be put in as number three in West Tyrone."

Yesterday, the saga took another twist when the MLA released a second statement, insisting that this had been a planned strategy all along, that he had not been deselected and he was back on the ticket after a decision taken on Tuesday night at a central party meeting.

Furthermore, an upbeat Cllr McMenamin said he is confident of victory in the assembly elections.

"The party had recommended to a selection convention held on Sunday evening that it should select two candidates, with the possibility of a third being included centrally.

"There was no intention to deselect me, far from it, but members from Omagh are understandably passionate about local issues and a large turnout from Omagh resulted in the selection of two Omagh-based candidates.

"Everyone present was well aware that a winning strategy requires geographical balance, and the feeling was that I should be added to the ticket, as I now have been.

"The strong mobilisation by supporters of Cllrs Jo Deehan and Seamus Shields means that we now have the resources for an exceptional campaign which can maximise support and representation.

"It is no secret that the last few years have been tough in this constituency, not least in Omagh where the fight to retain their hospital has reached into every home.

"It must now be clearer than ever that increased representation by the SDLP is the best guarantee of progress for all parts of this constituency and everyone in it."

And the central party's say on all of this? A spokesperson declared, "The selection convention is part of a process. The party centrally has the power to add candidates to the ticket if they decide the candidates chosen do not give a good geographical balance and good vote management strategy."