Republican News · Thursday 17 October 2002

Irish America lobbies Haass

In a joint letter sent last Thursday to Ambassador Richard Haass, America's special envoy with responsibility for the Irish peace process, representatives of a wide range of Irish American and justice groups expressed their concern at the threat posed to the Good Friday Agreement by the British government's imminent suspension of the institutions.

The letter was signed by Paul Doris, Chairman of Irish Northern Aid; Ned McGinley, President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; Brian O'Dwyer and Frank Durkan of Americans for a New Irish Agenda; Stella O'Leary, President of Irish American Democrats; James Gallagher, President of the Irish American Unity Conference; Fr Sean McManus, President of the Irish National Caucus; Joseph Jamison, President of the Irish American Labor Coalition; Kelly O'Neill, President of the Brehon Law Society; Edmund Lynch, National Coordinator of the Lawyers Alliance for Justice; and Vicky Curtin, President of the Irish Emigration Society.

The letter accused the British governmeny of not living up to its responsibilities under the Agreement and of "pandering to unionist demands throughout the period since Good Friday 10 April 1998 thereby encouraging the UUP to stall and dilute implementation of the Agreement...

"Implementation of the Agreement, even if unionist opposition pulls down the Assembly, must proceed. Political, democratic, peace process, and legal imperatives, not to mention good common sense, require this approach.

We call on this Administration to express its opposition to the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and its continued support for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The democratic will of the overwhelming majority of the Irish electorate, north and south, was expressed in their support of the Agreement. The democratic rights and entitlements of the electorate cannot be thwarted or denied."