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Ex-DUP mayor admits vote fraud Ex-DUP mayor admits vote fraud
(about 2 hours later)
A former DUP mayor of Coleraine has pleaded guilty to six charges of electoral fraud.A former DUP mayor of Coleraine has pleaded guilty to six charges of electoral fraud.
Dessie Stewart, who had originally denied the charges, will be sentenced on 24 October.Dessie Stewart, who had originally denied the charges, will be sentenced on 24 October.
The charges relate to the last general and local government elections which were held on the same day in May 2005.The charges relate to the last general and local government elections which were held on the same day in May 2005.
He admitted four counts of pretending to be someone else in order to cast postal votes, and two of fraudulently stopping free exercise of a proxy vote.He admitted four counts of pretending to be someone else in order to cast postal votes, and two of fraudulently stopping free exercise of a proxy vote.
A councillor since 1989, Stewart was re-elected to council with 773 votes in The Skerries area which includes his home town of Portrush.
Sinn Fein and the SDLP have both called for Stewart to resign from the council.
'Huge embarrassment'
Sinn Fein councillor Billy Leonard said he could no longer operate as an elected representative.
"This exposes the DUP's hypocrisy of trying to lecture others on democracy and a host of other issues.
"Dessie Stewart has admitted that he pretended to be someone else just to get some more votes.
"He has totally contradicted the whole idea of people entrusting their democratic vote and I think he is now totally compromised."
John Dallat of the SDLP said the case "must come as a huge embarrassment to the DUP".
"In the complaints made to me, I know that one elderly lady was distraught that her vote was used to promote the aims and objectives of a party which she feels has made a huge contribution to the negative politics which she has lived through.
"Councillor Stewart's replacement should go to the candidate who was runner-up in the council elections and most certainly not to the DUP."