Greens Party’s Chu in desperate bid to ‘borrow’ votes

GREEN Party Seanad candidate Hazel Chu is engaged in a desperate battle to avoid securing fewer votes than there are Green Party TDs and Senators.

In an indication of how utterly split the Green Party is, it is believed Ms Chu is currently struggling to secure more votes than Catherine Martin, her spouse Francis Duffy, Ms Martin’s brother Vincent P Martin, Neasa Hourigan, and Ms Chu’s partner Patrick Costello.

Though Ms Chu secured the support of Independents for the nomination it is believed that these are ‘borrowed’ votes which she may not retain.

One Green Party source said: ‘Such is the level of open hatred in the Greens they are happier to vote for anyone other than Chu.’

Attacking Hazel, the source added: ‘It may to the voters resemble knocking a rabbit on the head but this is a cult, she has defied the leader so she must be punished.

’It is spiteful. The Greens could vote for Hazel and transfer on without anyone in FF and FG raising a flap, but they want to teach this bad girl a lesson.’

It is believed a number of smaller parties and Independents have been approached by supporters of Ms Chu with a similar appeal to ‘borrow’ their votes.

One Independent said: ‘It’s very simple. Hazel is a Green and I am an Independent. If she declares as an Independent that’s a different story but until that happens, I am voting Independent and it’s up to the Greens to look after their own.’

They also warned: ‘Independents have a huge opportunity with Diaspora Independent Billy Lawless of ambushing the FF candidate Gerry Horkan. We do not want to confuse the issue.’

The other candidate, Labour’s Ciaran Ahern is likely to secure the Left vote.

One source said: ‘Hazel is running on behalf of women and minorities: How the Greens behave will say a great deal about their attitude to both.’