The Campaigns and Communications Officer of University College Dublin Students’ Union (UCDSU), Barry Murphy, has been elected president in a by-election after the impeachment of Katie Ascough.
Murphy was elected with 76.8 per cent of the vote. His opponent, Rebecca Hart, received 19 per cent. He formerly served as Campaigns and Communications Officer and Deputy President of the union under Ascough.
Turnout at the by-election was low, with 2,610 students voting, compared to the high-profile impeachment election, where 6,611 students voted.
A by-election to replace Murphy as Campaigns and Communications Officer will now have to be held.
Ascough was impeached after a controversy over the removal of a page containing abortion information from the UCDSU freshers’ guide Winging It. Ascough, who is pro-life, had made a promise to delegate on matters to do with abortion and the eighth amendment.
In a highly charged rebuke to claims Ascough made during the impeachment campaign, her fellow sabbatical officers, including Campaigns and Communications Officer Barry Murphy, penned highly charged open letters to students on Facebook. Murphy’s statement claimed that Ascough’s campaign “consists of lies”.
As reported in the University Observer, speaking after his election tonight, Murphy stated that he is “looking forward to getting back to work, restoring the reputation of the union”. He is also “looking forward to never seeing a polling station again”.
