BY NANCY ROSENSTOCK
NEW YORK - In a victory for democratic rights, the commissioners of the New York City Board of Elections voted September 4 to place three Socialist Workers Party candidates on the ballot.

After having turned in more than 10,000 signatures to appear on the ballot, the Socialist Workers campaign of Olga Rodríguez for Mayor, Wendy Lyons for Comptroller, and Shoghi Fret for Public Advocate received notice on August 22 that their petitions were being challenged. Francis G. Hoare and Ilene A. Zucker, the two individuals who challenged the petitions of the Socialist Workers campaign, claimed they contained "an insufficient number of signatures pursuant to the election law." The legal requirement is 7,500.

In her statement to the election board hearing, Rodríguez declared, "The challenge to the right of the Socialist Workers Party to be on the ballot is an attack on the democratic rights of all. It is a particular slap in the face to the more than 10,000 working people and youth who signed to place my name for mayor on the ballot."

The Socialist Workers ticket "is the only working-class voice on the New York ballot," she continued. "Since we announced, we have walked the picket lines with the Teamsters at UPS, participated in demonstrations around the brutal torture by city cops of Abner Louima, and spoken out for the rights of immigrant workers."

Leading up to the hearing, supporters of the campaign issued a press statement and appealed to all those who defend democratic rights to speak out against the ballot challenge. Among those who responded was Laurence Adams, president of National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 300. He wrote, "This is to register the strongest protest over efforts to deny ballot positions to the candidates of the Socialist Workers Party on grounds that appear frivolous and contrary to the election law."

Gerry Coleman, the National Political Educational Director of Irish Northern Aid committee, wrote, "The Socialist Workers Party have consistently spoken out on the struggle for justice in Ireland. Their voice in the upcoming New York City mayoral election is one that should be heard - as should all voices that represent a legitimate constituency."

"In this era of bipartisan politics amidst increasing worker frustration, it does not come as much of a surprise that the long-standing democratic powers challenge the SWP's growing appeal as a political alternative," wrote Alissa Pines, an organizer for the United Farm Workers. "We will not tolerate this violation of our civil liberties and democratic rights."  
 
 
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