Caving In to loyalism
The `Propositions on Heads of Agreement' document, put
forward by the two governments at the Stormont Talks,
represents a caving in to the combined forces of
loyalism.
The Ulster Unionist Party has consistently failed to
engage in any meaningful way in the talks process. The
difference between David Trimble's approach to the
talks and that of Ian Paisley has been merely tactical.
One arm of unionism seeks to wreck the process from
without while the other pursues the same objective from
within.
Likewise, in the world of the loyalist death squads a
shared strategic objective is evident. While the UDA
operates a `no claim no blame' policy it has carried
out a string of brutal and indiscriminate sectarian
assassinations using the LVF cover name.
Against this background of loyalist violence and
non-engagement by the Unionist political leadership,
the British government has successfully been diverted
from the course of pursuing a democratic peace
settlement.
In this it has followed a path well-worn by previous
British administrations. Mr Blair must realise that it
is a path littered with failures and tragedy for the
people of both these islands. The Propositions on the
Heads of Agreement document is overtly unionist in tone
and content. Its thrust is towards an internal Six
County settlement.
The Republican analysis of the document does not come
out of thin air. The British and Irish governments were
spooked into caving in to Unionism. The Orange Card has
been played, make no mistake.
What must be grapsed urgently by the two governments is
that the status quo has failed utterly. Radical,
deep-seated change is needed.
In this context the Heads of Agreement paper can in no
way provide any basis for a preace settlement and in
fact it has created a crisis in the process itself. It
is a crisis which the British government must now seek
to amend.
No democracy in Orange state
This week An Phoblacht highlights the undemocratic
nature of political life in Belfast City Hall (see
article). The blatant abuses underline the
unchanging nature of the Orange state and the
continuing misuse of power by unionist politicians.
Party political representation on Belfast City Council
Committees and outside authorities is characterised by
unionist domination in every area, the marginalisation
of nationalist parties, the complete exclusion of Sinn
Féin and the disenfranchisement of the nationalist
electorate.
Belfast is but one example of the discrimination and
injustice suffered at a political level by the
nationalist community across the Six Counties.
It is clear that nothing short of radical structural
change can redress these injustices. An equal
representation of all parties involved in the political
process can only emerge in the form of a guaranteed
system of proportionality.
What is abundantly clear from the evidence of rampant
political abuse and malpractice in the Six Counties is
that there can be no internal settlement there and that
the Unionist veto on political progress must be
scrapped. The maintenance of an undemocratic state is
not an option.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)