Republican News · Thursday 3 April 2003

Issues of Policing and Justice not resolved

BY AINE Ní BHRIAN

The message from Sinn Féin's Ard Fheis this past weekend is clear - there has been no change in the party's position on policing in spite of claims by the media and the British and Irish governments.

In his Presidential address at the party's largest Ard Fheis to date, Gerry Adams told the assembled delegates: "Let me state clearly that no decision to support the current policing proposition has been taken by the outgoing Ard Chomhairle.

"Such a decision will only be taken by a specially convened Ard Fheis. And we are not yet in a position to contemplate convening this.

"If we do so, it is my intention that a position paper would go to all levels of the party for discussion - that is the party membership as a whole, and that there would be a comprehensive debate leading up to a special Ard Fheis."

Adams went on to say that he believed there should also be further ongoing debate within the wider republican and nationalist community, and that Sinn Féin should make no bones about the enormity of the issue.

Debate on the issue of policing was passionate and covered a broad range of topics.

Motion 299, which called on the Ard Fheis to refuse to sit on any Policing Board or similar body while Britain has jurisdiction over the Six Counties, was struck down and likewise, motion 308, which stated that any Six-County police force was totally unacceptable. These were the only two motions in the Justice section of the Clár to be defeated.

However, many of the motions passed were specific in their demand that there be full demilitarisation under the terms of the Agreement, full implementation of the Agreement itself, and debate and discussion within Sinn Féin and the broader republican and nationalist communities about the role of future policing.

Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, told the assembled delegates that talks with the two governments are continuing and refuted recent reports coming from London and Dublin.

"Despite the claims by some that the negotiations are closed, there is no deal done," McGuinness said.

He went on to outline details of the ongoing talks and said the discussions were aimed at "achieving a plan for the full implementation of the agreement and to counter any attempts to filter this implementation through a unionist prism".

"We do not have an acceptable policing service or a representative criminal justice system," McGuinness told the assembled audience. "We certainly do not have equality and no one is going to give it to us. This party will have to fight for this issue every day."

Although Sinn Féin feels the Patten recommendations do not go far enough, there was consensus among delegates that the minimum requirement for Sinn Féin to take any role whatsoever in the Policing Board would be nothing less than the full implementation of the Patten Report, and that the implementation of Patten in itself should not be taken as any guarantee that Sinn Féin would join the Policing Board.

There were also calls for public inquiries into the killings of Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Donegal Sinn Féin Councillor Eddie Fullerton.

The Ard Fheis also demanded comprehensive investigations into the long list of state killings and sent its support to the Castlerea Five and the Colombia Three.

Of the latter, Sean Crowe said: "I have visited the men on two occasions and will be going to see them again next week to continue to observe the trial. I will carry with them the best wishes of this Ard Fhéis and I know they appreciate the support Sinn Féin has given these men.

"I would also thank those people outside of Sinn Féin who are standing up for these men. The Colombia Three have been used as a political football by everyone from David Trimble to Pat Rabbitte. Clearly, we can only expect this government to protect the human rights of those of its citizens who are not republicans."

It was clear from the tone of the proposed motions and the ongoing debate that the issue of policing is far from resolved as far as republicans are concerned, and that it will be some time yet before there might be any change to party policy on the matter.

Martin McGuinness stood firm on the party's commitment to see real and lasting change with respect to policing and justice.

"We will continue to negotiate," he said. "We will continue to fulfil our political mandate to deliver radical and progressive change."

President Gerry Adams summed the party's position up in no uncertain terms.

"If I am asked can I see a time when it would be appropriate for Sinn Fein to join the Policing Board, and participate fully in the policing arrangements on a democratic basis? The answer is yes.

"Are we at that point now? The answer is no, not yet."