Adams predicts major gains
BY MICHAEL PIERSE
Sinn Féin will be the ``story of this election'', the party's president, Gerry Adams, told An Phoblacht as we went to print on the eve of the elections in the Six Counties and the Nice Treaty referendum south of the border.
Adams said that he believes a positive electoral outcome for Sinn Féin will have a significant impact on negotiations to break the impasse in the peace process. These negotiations will follow in the immediate aftermath of the election.
The Sinn Féin leader predicted that the party will add an extra MP, Pat Doherty in West Tyrone, to their gains, along with a massive increase in their representation on local councils.
``I believe that we are going to win in West Tyrone and secure an increase of one third on our council representation,'' he said. Sinn Féin currently holds 74 council seats across the Six Counties, but will increase this to a ``nice round figure'' of 100 councillors, Adams said, ``and we could go beyond that''.
Huge electoral increases across the Six Counties are expected for Sinn Féin. ``Watch for North Belfast, Fermanagh/South Tyrone and Newry/South Armagh,'' he added.
The outcome at the polls will have a decisive impact, not only on the negotiations that will follow them, but also on Sinn Féin's support in the 26 Counties. ``The growth of Sinn Féin will have a roll-on effect when the Taoiseach calls the elections in the South.''
The immediate focus of the Sinn Féin team, however, will be on the negotiations between the parties and the British and Dublin governments. Adams said he is mindful of the impact of a strong Labour mandate in Britain.
``I would like to think that Blair's increased mandate will allow him to face down the rejectionists within his own establishment.''
Echoing Martin McGuinness's comment last week that there is enough leadership and wisdom amongst the political parties to forge beyond the current impasse, Adams added that David Trimble cannot be afforded all the blame.
``A lot of it is down to Tony Blair to sort these matters out. We can't really blame David Trimble. He is trying to do his best for his very narrow electorate. Blair must make clear that the kind of ultimatums and threats we've been seeing from unionism are unacceptable.''
The first test of the post-election political landscape will be in ten or eleven days' time when negotiations resume. The recent revelations of further inspections of IRA arms dumps will bolster these negotiations, Adams said.
``I think that the IRA created what could be, and should be, a positive context for those negotations. The IRA kept their commitments, according to the inspectors.''
The issues of demilitarisation and policing are matters entirely within the remit of the British government, he said. ``They must deliver.''
The Six County elections are of huge significance for Sinn Féin, Adams said. ``For Sinn Féin, it is significant in that we are going to the people with an account of what we have delivered on and asking for a strengthened mandate to continue.
``We have delivered on work with regard to sustaining the peace process, work with regard to radicalising and putting policies in place, work with regard to the social and economic needs of our people. We are building strength for a united Ireland and an end to partition and the Union.''
In the 26 Counties, the `No to Nice' campaign has swayed large chunks of the electorate in recent weeks, according to an Irish Times/MRBI poll.
The treaty is about the creation of a two-tiered, militarised Europe and a democratic deficit in Ireland, Adams said. ``We are only part of a broad constituency which has an alternative view of Ireland and Europe, a vision that is different from the conservative parties' sleeveen approach to Europe,'' he said.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)