NATIONALISTS HARASSED AT POLLS

British Crown forces in the North engaged in widespread
harassment and intimidation of voters on Thursday, patrolling
around polling stations and photographing voters as they arrived.

As voting began, West Belfast Assembly member Michael Ferguson of
Sinn Fein said members of the PSNI police had been reported
filing and photographing voters and cars outside St Aidan's
Primary School on the Springfield Road this morning.

He said: "This sort of blatant intelligence gathering is
unacceptable and is clearly designed to intimidate voters from
going to the polls."

ELsewhere, two British Army landrovers surrounded the Sinn Fein
election caravan parked outside Saggart Polling station in
Dungannon.

A large number of British Army personnel then left the jeeps and
began patrolling around the entrance to the polling station and
harassing both election workers and voters.

"This is clearly the British contribution to the electoral
process in Ireland," said local Assembly member Francie Molloy.

His colleague Michelle GIldernew MP said British troops were
"making their presence felt" in nearby Cabragh and Galbally.

"The British Crown forces are clearly fearful of the continuing
rise of Sinn Fein and are determined to try a prevent people
exercising their franchise.

"The behaviour of the British Army and PSNI throughout the Six
Counties is an extension of the British government strategy to
disenfranchise voters here in order to influence the elections
and achieve the results they want. It is a direct interference in
the democratic process."