Start building democracy
Neil Forde examines the political initiatives taken by Sinn Féin
this week
``Sinn Féin believe the violence we have seen must be for all of
us now a thing of the past over, done with and gone''. This was
the one of two keynote statements made by Sinn Féin President
Gerry Adams this week. Yesterday Adams announced the decision of
the party to appoint Martin McGuinness as Sinn Féin's
representative to meet with the chairperson of the Independent
Decommissioning Body.
The Sinn Féin statements were a positive bold initiative that, on
the eve of US President Bill Clinton's second visit to Ireland,
have given new impetus to the implementation of the Good Friday
Agreement.
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We need to map a path out of the dark tunnel that people feel
themselves to be in. There is much despair around and the vacuum
that has been created must be filled
Gerry Adams MP
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Gerry Adams put a focus on the Sinn Féin initiative when he said
``Inclusive and honest dialogue is the only way forward in this
country. We need to map a path out of the dark tunnel that people
feel themselves to be in. There is much despair around and the
vacuum that has been created must be filled''.
There is now a need to move forward with the wholehearted
implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Adams described it
as having ``the capacity to transform the existing situation''.
The new momentum given to the peace process was in stark contrast
to other political events of the week as the Dublin and London
governments moved hastily to implement their new security
legislation following the Omagh bomb.
Gerry Adams, along with Leinster House TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin,
voiced Sinn Féin's opposition to the new legislation. Adams said
``These new laws are a mistake''.
``The knee-jerk response of the two governments to the Omagh bomb,
with both rushing to the comfort blanket of more repressive
legislation, flies in the face of the new real-politik. The speed
with which both grabbed for the file drawer marked `repression'
runs against the spirit and the letter of the Good Friday
Agreement.
``The two governments and the political parties must recognise
that the Good Friday Agreement marks the beginning of a process
of changes. To be successful it requires the consent and
allegiance of both unionists and nationalists. We need to put the
politics of domination and injustice behind us.
``Sinn Féin is committed to reaching a settlement which will
accommodate the rights of all our people, nationalists and
unionists. Even while the two governments are legislating for
more repression Sinn Féin is endeavoring through yet another
initiative to advance the search for a lasting peace.
``The Good Friday Agreement'' said Adams ``recognised the need for
fundamental change across the entire spectrum of the equality and
demilitarisation agendas and signalled the creation of mechanisms
to deliver change in the specific areas of justice, policing and
human rights. This is the agenda, not a return to the failure of
security initiatives, which the two governments must push ahead
with with all speed.''
Despite the bringing into law of the new security measures Sinn
Féin's input this week has decidedly swung the political
barometer back to the positive. It is a sign of how seriously
Sinn Féin takes its responsibility to fulfil its commitments to
implement all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement.
nouncing the appointment of Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams
called on ``all participants to the Agreement'' to ``act with
renewed commitment''.
Adams said, ``Sinn Féin has repeatedly outlined our view that a
lasting peace settlement requires the removal forever of all guns
from the political equation in Ireland. The issue of arms must be
finally and satisfactorily settled. This and the removal of the
causes of the conflict is an absolute requirement of the
successful construction of a lasting peace settlement''.
With Sinn Féin having offered the political leadership necessary
and shouldered the responsibility of giving momentum to the peace
process it now falls to the other participants to shoulder their
responsibilities.
The next necessary step is a meeting between First Minister David
Trimble and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams. Such a meeting would
be public acknowledgement of the tens of thousands of voters
represented by Sinn Féin. It would finally signal acceptance of
the Sinn Féin electoral mandate. And on Wednesday, during the
Westminster debate on the new repressive laws, David Trimble gave
an indication that he is prepared to meet with Sinn Féin.
It is an important development. There can be no more stalling.
There are important issues of equality, parity of esteem and
inclusion that must be dealt with by the two governments, the
shadow executive and the newly elected assembly, as well as the
vital All-Ireland bodies.
Speaking to reporters yesterday after the announcement that
Martin McGuinness would be the party's representative at the
Decommissioning body Gerry Adams put the programme of work facing
the people of Ireland into its proper context.
Adams said that it was time to move forward into the executive
the cross border bodies, the all-Ireland dimension and to ``start
building democracy''.
This week began with a growing political vacuum. Sinn Féin's
positive initiative has effectively filled the vacuum and built a
platform where all the people of Ireland can move on. In saying
that ``the violence we have seen must be for all of us now a thing
of the past'' Gerry Adams also said ``there is a shared
responsibility to removing the causes and achieving an end to all
conflict''. In particular Adams said ``the two governments have the
principal responsibility, as do the party leaders''.
By Saturday evening Clinton will have returned to the USA and
another week in politics will begin. Then the next steps in
building a real democracy must begin.
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