Out but not down
By Mary Maguire
For once, the news was expected. But as the twenty
person Sinn Fein delegation walked through the gates of
Castle grounds at Stormont last Friday, the depressed
and sometimes furious glares betrayed the general mood
of anger and frustration. In a ten minute long meeting
with the governments, they had been told that Sinn Fein
was barred from re-entering the talks.
Of all the press conferences, including the dozen given
at Dublin Castle earlier in the week, this one had the
most bitter taste. Sinn Fein representatives stood with
straight faces behind their leaders. The determination
to continue to stride forward, whatever obstacles
arose, could be read in everyone's eyes.
`There is clearly a credibility problem with the talks
process. The exclusion of Sinn Fein on the word of an
RUC man underlines the serious flaws of the process
which the two governments set up,'' Gerry Adams said.
``The events of recent days have highlighted the double
standards involved. There is no consistency in its
position. Political expediency rules''.
Martin McGuinness summed up the situation in one
sentence: ``Sinn Fein is out but not down''. ``We are
absolutely committed to our quest for equality, for
justice and peace. There is still much work to be done
but I see all this as another challenge, another
obstacle, and out of this has to come a real peace
process''.
Minutes later, Irish minister David Andrews and British
secretary Mo Mowlam tried to justify such a decision.
But Mowlam's ambiguous comments came as proof that
there was and never had been any base to Sinn Fein's
expulsion. Questions on her assesment of the IRA
ceasefire remained unanswered. As was one addressed by
an American journalist on the previous breaches of the
Mitchell Principles by loyalist death squads and the
murder of John Slane.
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