Adams in final call for 'No' vote

Sinn Féin gave its final press conference of the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign on Dublin’s Henry Street on Tuesday

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams speaking on Tuesday at the party’s final press conference for the Lisbon Referendum campaign called on all those who are worried about the Lisbon Treaty to vote ‘No’ on 12 June and give the Irish Government a strong mandate to negotiate a better deal for Ireland.
Adams said:
“I want to call on all those who are worried about the Lisbon Treaty to come out on Thursday and vote ‘No’. A ‘No’ vote will give the Irish government a strong mandate to negotiate a better deal for Ireland.
“Throughout the campaign the government has failed to put forward any convincing argument as to why the electorate should support the Lisbon Treaty. They have been unable to give any reason as to how it is in Ireland’s interests to lose a Commissioner and reduce our voting strength on the Council of Ministers. They have been unable to explain how the loss of vetoes, opening of health and education to competition and undermining of workers’ pay and conditions could be a good thing.” And in recent days they have tried to pretend that there is no Plan B.
“The fact is that if the Irish people vote ‘No’ on Thursday the Lisbon Treaty cannot go ahead. And in the negotiations that will follow the Irish government has a responsibility to act on the concerns of the Irish people and secure a permanent Irish Commissioner, stop the undermining of workers’ pay and conditions, protect neutrality, copper fasten key vetoes, get opt outs from increased military expenditure and maintain the absolute right of Irish citizens to take the final decision on any significant changes to future EU treaties.
“A better deal is possible. A ‘No’ vote on 12 June will give the Irish Government a strong mandate to negotiate a better deal for Ireland, the EU and the developing world.”