Republican News · Thursday 7 May 1998

[An Phoblacht]

United we stand

I am proud to be a subversive, we are all subversives. It is our duty. We are the agents of change and we want an end to British rule in our country. We will come to the document on that basis

Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams at the Hunger-Strike Commemoration in Belfast on 3 May

 
The Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle has tabled two important emergency motions for the party's resumed Ard Fheis this Sunday 10 May.

Firstly the leadership has proposed changing the party's constitution to allow members to take seats in in a new Six County Assembly. The objective would be to ensure maximum republican representation on the North/South Council and to expand the all-Ireland structures provided for in the Good Friday document.

The Ard Chomairle motion argues that any attendance policy would be underpinned by a strategy as directed by the Ard Chomhairle, that it would be based upon the party's strategic objectives and political goals and would be subject to regular review.

A second emergency motion proposes that Sinn Féin call for a'Yes' vote in both of the forthcoming referenda on the Good Friday document. The Ard Chomhairle has made clear that this is in the context of the party's absolute rejection of partition, of the unionist veto and of British rule in Ireland. The Sinn Féin leadership believes that the Good Friday document can be developed and that it marks a phase. There are also resolutions on the clár arguing for contrary positions to those of the Ard Chomhairle.

Vital and truly historic debates around these issues will take place at the RDS in Dublin next Sunday. Sinn Féin will again be the focus of intense media and political scrutiny. That the spotlight remains on Sinn Féin underlines the party's position at the centre of political life in this country.Whatever the outcome of its deliberations Sinn Féin will remain at the very heart of political developments and republicans will go forward in unity to pursue the struggle for freedom, justice and peace.

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