SF's bold initiative
Way clear for Executive and All-Ireland bodies
In a bold series of initiatives Sinn Féin this week helped ensure
the peace process continues to its next stage, the setting up of
the Executive and the All-Ireland bodies.
In a keynote statement on Tuesday Gerry Adams repeated Sinn
Fein's commitment ``to making conflict a thing of the past''.
He said: ``Sinn Fein believes the violence we have seen must be
for all of us now a thing of the past, over, done with and gone.''
He emphasised that ``inclusive and honest dialogue is the only way
forward in this country''.
His statement came against the background of a political vacuum
created by the Omagh bombing. That action was described by an IRA
spokesperson in an interview with An Phoblacht this week as
having ``undoubtedly caused damage to the struggle for Irish
independence and unity''. The spokesperson urged everyone ``to move
the situation forward speedily and fulfil the existing potential
for the resolution of the conflict in an all-Ireland context''.
On Wednesday Sinn Féin named Martin McGuinness as the party's
representative on the International Commission on
Decommissioning, in keeping with the terms of the Good Friday
Agreement.
It is now up to David Trimble to keep to the terms of the
Agreement, meet Sinn Féin - and thus recognise the legitimacy of
their voters - and set up the Executive. As President Clinton
arrives in Ireland, that is the next step.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)