22 January 1998 Edition
Caving In to loyalism
The `Propositions on Heads of Agreement' document, put forward by the two governments at the Stormont Talks, represents a caving in to the combined forces of loyalism.
The Ulster Unionist Party has consistently failed to engage in any meaningful way in the talks process. The difference between David Trimble's approach to the talks and that of Ian Paisley has been merely tactical. One arm of unionism seeks to wreck the process from without while the other pursues the same objective from within.
Likewise, in the world of the loyalist death squads a shared strategic objective is evident. While the UDA operates a `no claim no blame' policy it has carried out a string of brutal and indiscriminate sectarian assassinations using the LVF cover name.
Against this background of loyalist violence and non-engagement by the Unionist political leadership, the British government has successfully been diverted from the course of pursuing a democratic peace settlement.
In this it has followed a path well-worn by previous British administrations. Mr Blair must realise that it is a path littered with failures and tragedy for the people of both these islands. The Propositions on the Heads of Agreement document is overtly unionist in tone and content. Its thrust is towards an internal Six County settlement.
The Republican analysis of the document does not come out of thin air. The British and Irish governments were spooked into caving in to Unionism. The Orange Card has been played, make no mistake.
What must be grapsed urgently by the two governments is that the status quo has failed utterly. Radical, deep-seated change is needed.
In this context the Heads of Agreement paper can in no way provide any basis for a preace settlement and in fact it has created a crisis in the process itself. It is a crisis which the British government must now seek to amend.
This week An Phoblacht highlights the undemocratic nature of political life in Belfast City Hall (see article). The blatant abuses underline the unchanging nature of the Orange state and the continuing misuse of power by unionist politicians.
Party political representation on Belfast City Council Committees and outside authorities is characterised by unionist domination in every area, the marginalisation of nationalist parties, the complete exclusion of Sinn Féin and the disenfranchisement of the nationalist electorate.
Belfast is but one example of the discrimination and injustice suffered at a political level by the nationalist community across the Six Counties.
It is clear that nothing short of radical structural change can redress these injustices. An equal representation of all parties involved in the political process can only emerge in the form of a guaranteed system of proportionality.
What is abundantly clear from the evidence of rampant political abuse and malpractice in the Six Counties is that there can be no internal settlement there and that the Unionist veto on political progress must be scrapped. The maintenance of an undemocratic state is not an option.
The Ulster Unionist Party has consistently failed to engage in any meaningful way in the talks process. The difference between David Trimble's approach to the talks and that of Ian Paisley has been merely tactical. One arm of unionism seeks to wreck the process from without while the other pursues the same objective from within.
Likewise, in the world of the loyalist death squads a shared strategic objective is evident. While the UDA operates a `no claim no blame' policy it has carried out a string of brutal and indiscriminate sectarian assassinations using the LVF cover name.
Against this background of loyalist violence and non-engagement by the Unionist political leadership, the British government has successfully been diverted from the course of pursuing a democratic peace settlement.
In this it has followed a path well-worn by previous British administrations. Mr Blair must realise that it is a path littered with failures and tragedy for the people of both these islands. The Propositions on the Heads of Agreement document is overtly unionist in tone and content. Its thrust is towards an internal Six County settlement.
The Republican analysis of the document does not come out of thin air. The British and Irish governments were spooked into caving in to Unionism. The Orange Card has been played, make no mistake.
What must be grapsed urgently by the two governments is that the status quo has failed utterly. Radical, deep-seated change is needed.
In this context the Heads of Agreement paper can in no way provide any basis for a preace settlement and in fact it has created a crisis in the process itself. It is a crisis which the British government must now seek to amend.
No democracy in Orange state
This week An Phoblacht highlights the undemocratic nature of political life in Belfast City Hall (see article). The blatant abuses underline the unchanging nature of the Orange state and the continuing misuse of power by unionist politicians.
Party political representation on Belfast City Council Committees and outside authorities is characterised by unionist domination in every area, the marginalisation of nationalist parties, the complete exclusion of Sinn Féin and the disenfranchisement of the nationalist electorate.
Belfast is but one example of the discrimination and injustice suffered at a political level by the nationalist community across the Six Counties.
It is clear that nothing short of radical structural change can redress these injustices. An equal representation of all parties involved in the political process can only emerge in the form of a guaranteed system of proportionality.
What is abundantly clear from the evidence of rampant political abuse and malpractice in the Six Counties is that there can be no internal settlement there and that the Unionist veto on political progress must be scrapped. The maintenance of an undemocratic state is not an option.