SF selects candidates for new Derry / Strabane “supercouncil”

Sinn Féin has announced its team of candidates to contest next year’s ‘super council’ election which will see Derry and Stabane councils merge.
The 21 candidates were named at a selection convention held in the party’s Rath Mór constituency office over the weekend.
It is the first time candidates for both Derry and Strabane have been announced together.
Alongside the sitting councillors, the new candidates from Derry are; Michael McCrossan, Christopher Jackson, Liam Friel and Sandra Duffy.
Twenty one years-old Diarmuid Ward will join sitting councillors from the Strabane area on the ballot papers.
Current Sinn Fein Cllrs in Strabane, Jay McCauley and Michelle McMakin will not run in next years elections.
Cllr Michelle Mc Mackin indicated that she would not be seeking re-nomination due to existing work commitments and given the additional workload this new Council format would entail.
While at the selection for the new Sperrin Electoral Area, Cllr Jay Mc Cauley just narrowly missed out for the fourth place on the party ticket.
The election will be held in May 2014 on the same day as the European Parliament elections.