Sinn Fein still barred from talks

By Catherine Brown

Since the Irish elections at the end of 1992 there has been growing concern in the nationalist community in the north of Ireland that the incoming coalition of the Labour Party and Fianna Fail was going to renounce Articles 2 and 3 of the constitution, which contain the Republic's claim to the northern six counties.

The British government has been keen for a resumption of the three-way talks including parties from the north. On July 8 after discussions between the British and Irish government, Sir Patrick Mayhew, the Northern Ireland secretary, rejected a proposed joint Irish/British authority over the north of Ireland.

Mayhew reaffirmed the exclusion of the republican party, Sinn Fein, from any talks on the future of Ireland. This is despite the results of the May council elections in the North. Sinn Fein increased the number of its seats by eight.

In Belfast, Sinn Fein's vote increased by 5.5%, making it the largest party in terms of percentage vote (23.76%) and the second largest on the City Council.

Some of Sinn Fein's votes came from the Social Democratic Labour Party, which bodes well for Gerry Adams winning back the west Belfast seat from the SDLP. So concerned has the SDLP been that John Hume, its leader, met with Adams. The meeting produced a joint statement on the need for “self-

determination for the people of Ireland” and talk of a nationalist alliance.

This article was posted on the Green Left Weekly Home Page.
For further details regarding subscriptions and
correspondence please contact glw@greenleft.org.au

Tools

• Bookmark This Page
• Print This Page