11 February 1999 Edition
No truck with Trimble's democracy
David Trimble argues that his stance on decommissioning is based on his moral duty to defend democracy. It is an argument enthusiastically backed by the Irish Times and others in recent days. And it is complete nonsense.
Democracy is not something defined by David Trimble and The Irish Times and then cast in stone for the rest of Ireland to bow down to. What is conveniently ignored is that a dispute over sovereignty and legitimacy and thus democracy is at the very heart of the peace process.
In David Trimble's eyes the British civil service, the RUC, the British Army, the Crown's Courts are all legitimate institutions, with ``democracy'' amounting to elections under the sovereignty of the Westminster parliament. By extension, therefore, only those parts of the Good Friday Agreement which uphold those British institutions have legitimacy. Those elements of the Agreement which encompass an all-Ireland dimension are to be abhorred.
David Trimble's principles and his moral duty are thus indistinguishable from his determination to uphold British sovereignty. Everything he has done in the peace process has been to that end.
Thus when David Trimble raises the handing over of IRA weapons to the principle of defending democracy, he is talking about his democracy; British democracy.
Given that, can anyone honestly expect his demand to be met? Moreover, given that arguments over sovereignty and democracy formed the basis of the negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement, it is not surprising that David Trimble now seeks to renegotiate that Agreement.
What must be emphasised to David Trimble is that times have changed. The Agreement is not some arbitrary settlement; it is the definite outcome of a process of conflict resolution. Conflicting concepts of legitimacy, sovereignty and democracy have expressed themselves in its agreed political institutions. David Trimble can not now preach about democracy and refuse to form those institutions.
Garda/RUC training has begun under the auspices of the FBI in the USA. Gardai and RUC members are also due to undertake joint training at locations in Ireland on both sides of the border.
Dublin Justice Minister John O'Donoghue says the joint training is aimed at ``improving methods of developing and maintaining community confidence in both forces''.
That statement ignores the fact that the broad mass of the nationalist community in the North have no confidence in the RUC whom they view as a totally discredited force.
The Gardai should not be training with the RUC at a time when the entire future of that force is in the balance in the context of the peace process. It clearly prejudices the outcome of the Patten Policing Commission which is currently deliberating on the future of the RUC.
The joint training with the Garda will be used for propaganda purposes by the RUC as they strive to counter growing demands for their disbandment and replacement with a proper policing service. It is essentially a publicity exercise in which the Dublin Government should not allow the Garda to take part.
Democracy is not something defined by David Trimble and The Irish Times and then cast in stone for the rest of Ireland to bow down to. What is conveniently ignored is that a dispute over sovereignty and legitimacy and thus democracy is at the very heart of the peace process.
In David Trimble's eyes the British civil service, the RUC, the British Army, the Crown's Courts are all legitimate institutions, with ``democracy'' amounting to elections under the sovereignty of the Westminster parliament. By extension, therefore, only those parts of the Good Friday Agreement which uphold those British institutions have legitimacy. Those elements of the Agreement which encompass an all-Ireland dimension are to be abhorred.
David Trimble's principles and his moral duty are thus indistinguishable from his determination to uphold British sovereignty. Everything he has done in the peace process has been to that end.
Thus when David Trimble raises the handing over of IRA weapons to the principle of defending democracy, he is talking about his democracy; British democracy.
Given that, can anyone honestly expect his demand to be met? Moreover, given that arguments over sovereignty and democracy formed the basis of the negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement, it is not surprising that David Trimble now seeks to renegotiate that Agreement.
What must be emphasised to David Trimble is that times have changed. The Agreement is not some arbitrary settlement; it is the definite outcome of a process of conflict resolution. Conflicting concepts of legitimacy, sovereignty and democracy have expressed themselves in its agreed political institutions. David Trimble can not now preach about democracy and refuse to form those institutions.
Stop Garda/RUC training
Garda/RUC training has begun under the auspices of the FBI in the USA. Gardai and RUC members are also due to undertake joint training at locations in Ireland on both sides of the border.
Dublin Justice Minister John O'Donoghue says the joint training is aimed at ``improving methods of developing and maintaining community confidence in both forces''.
That statement ignores the fact that the broad mass of the nationalist community in the North have no confidence in the RUC whom they view as a totally discredited force.
The Gardai should not be training with the RUC at a time when the entire future of that force is in the balance in the context of the peace process. It clearly prejudices the outcome of the Patten Policing Commission which is currently deliberating on the future of the RUC.
The joint training with the Garda will be used for propaganda purposes by the RUC as they strive to counter growing demands for their disbandment and replacement with a proper policing service. It is essentially a publicity exercise in which the Dublin Government should not allow the Garda to take part.