Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I am in broad agreement with the Deputy. The Government would welcome further initiatives to address this issue in the United Nations framework. I was taken by an article written by former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, which appeared in today's edition of the Financial Times. In it, Mr. Annan stated that the victor of an unfair vote must be under no illusions and will not have the legitimacy to govern or receive the support of the international community. The UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, recently publicly expressed his concerns. Ultimately, we will have to move beyond the election result in the sense that reconciliation is what is really required. It is not just about mere victory in an election. There needs to be a national reconciliation and——

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