Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Governments fail Peace Process

Republicans have answered enough questions

As republicans prepare to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the 1981 Hunger Strike this weekend, we remain locked in the same struggle for freedom and justice.

Last Sunday, Gerry Adams made a keynote speech in which he addressed in a direct and fortright manner the concerns about the IRA statement that had been expressed by the two governments. In that speech, he said that the IRA statement, unmatched by any from the IRA leadership in this or indeed any other phase of their struggle, points the way forward.

He said that the two governments and the leadership of the UUP now had to make a choice. He reiterated that the Joint Declaration and all other statements should be published, that the commitments contained in all the statements, including the IRA statement, should be implemented in full, and that the Assembly Elections should proceed as planned.

While welcoming the speech, Tony Blair came back on one question. On Wednesday afternoon in Sevastopol Street, Gerry Adams again stretched the republican constituency to address that outstanding point.

He did so, he said, despite that he and other Sinn Féin leaders had received an unprecedented number of calls from republicans and nationalists expressing real anger about what was going on.

"They are saying 'go no further, no more. There has to be a limit'," said Adams, who added that this was a sincere response from people who were deeply upset. "There is an anger and resentment among republicans about the insatiable demands of the unionists, which have been supported by two governments that should know better," he said.

"This is not about the IRA," he added. "It is about the securocrats within the British establishment who can't cope with the change represented by the Good Friday Agreement.

"We want equality for everyone," he stressed. "After a lot of reflection, I have decided to make further remarks that will stretch our people even more. It is an attempt to frustrate those who are trying to derail the process."

The Sinn Féin leader appealed to people to take ownership of this process of change to claim their entitlements and rights.

Gerry Adams's statement was predictably rejected by David Trimble, but the two governments also chose to respond negatively, indicating that even this, the final step they themselves had asked for, was not enough. The two governments know exactly what is on the table. Their requests for clarification have been answered three times by republicans since the IRA statement was given to them two weeks ago. And now, as Gerry Adams has seized the initiative and addressed the governments' concerns to try to break the logjam, Blair and Ahern are looking to move the goalposts again.

They must now take responsibility for the continuation of the crisis in the peace process. Bertie Ahern's falling in behind unionist demands this week has been particularly outrageous and will cause huge anger among nationalists across the island.

No wonder republican spokespersons reacted so furiously on Wednesday evening.

"We have made a fair and honourable attempt," said Mitchel McLaughlin. "The paper chase is over. We've answered enough questions."