ADAMS OPPOSES 'SAVE DAVID' PROCESS
Date: 10th Sept '02
Name: RM Irish news article
ADAMS OPPOSES 'SAVE DAVID' PROCESS
A heavy round of meetings is underway this week involving the
British and Irish Prime Minister, the North's political parties
and US President Bush's special adviser, Mr Richard Haass, over
the coming days.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams MP met British Secretary of State
John Reid met today to discuss the Good Friday Agreement.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Adams said there was an attempt
being made by anti-Agreement unionists to subvert change in the
North of Ireland.
"One thing is certain - change is coming, it can be delayed and
frustrated, it can be minimised but it cannot be stopped," he
said.
People had a right to equality and no section of the community
had the right to deny or withhold rights "because bigots or
anti-Agreement unionists don't want to see change", Mr Adams
insisted.
But John Reid appears focussed on appeasing Ulster Unionist
leader David Trimble with 12 days to go before the latest crisis
meeting of his party's ruling council on the state of the peace
process.
It is the eleventh meeting of the UUC to debate party policy on
the Good Friday Agreement the party's participation in the
North's power-sharing Executive. Unionists have continued to
focus on allegations of IRA activity as a possible reason for
withdrawing from the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.
Last week, the loyalist paramilitary UDA and UVF admitted
engaging in sectarian violence against Catholics at Belfast
interfaces. Reid indicated today that the British government
supports a new scheme to assess the paramilitary ceasefires,
something which had been demanded by David Trimble.
Emerging from the two hours of talks in Belfast with Sinn Fein
leader Gerry Adams, Reid said people "should know as many facts
as possible".
"I obviously have to retain the right to take the decision on the
ceasefire, but I see no reason why we cannot put into the public
domain as much information as people are entitled to about the
level of paramilitary activity and involvement in violence and I
am consulting people on ways to do that."
He insisted this was not a concession to David Trimble, something
which was challenged by Mr Adams.
Emerging from his meeting accompanied by Sinn Fein MP for
Fermanagh and South Tyrone Michelle Gildernew and north Belfast
Assembly member Gerry Kelly, Mr Adams said: "We are totally
wedded to this agreement.
"Now this notion of an auditor has been brought forward by Mr
Trimble.
"I haven't talked to Mr Trimble about that but it seems to be one
of the demands that he has made.
"I personally do not see any benefit from that.
"Every time a referee has been brought in here, whether it was
the Patten Commission (on police reform), the unionists rejected
that, or there was the (General John) de Chastelain commission on
decommissioning, unionists rejected that, whether it's the Human
Rights Commission, unionists have rejected that.
"So as to this notion that some way this would help the
situation, we don't need to be told that there is violence here.
That is obvious.
"What we need to do is to use all of our resources and
intelligence and energy to bring it to an end. That is what is
required."
Referring to this month's Ulster Unionists council meeting, the
West Belfast MP said his party would help as best it could Mr
Trimble to "fulfil his role as First Minister.
"But this isn't the 'Save Dave' process. This is a process about
bringing about change and whatever happens and this is the ninth
Ulster Unionist crisis meeting whether I remain as party leader
of Sinn Fein or David Trimble remains as Ulster Unionist party
leader, this process of change has to continue.
"So we shouldn't reduce this which is about peoples entitlement
and rights to whether or not Mr Trimble can weather the storm.
"I hope he does but if he doesn't, whoever takes over his
position will face exactly the same problems that he faces and
that is that people like us are no longer prepared and I think a
sizable number of unionists as well are no longer prepared to put
up with the old system of second class citizenship and want to be
treated on the basis of equality."
POLICING DEBATED
The slow pace of policing reform and the lack of new legislation
to further the process are among the issues expected to be
discussed at the political talks this week.
A high-profile recruitment campaign has just been launched
to appoint independent members to the District Policing
Partnerships despite continuing controversy over the policing
reform process.
The District Policing Partnerships (DPPs) are the lower-level
regional equivalents of the new Policing Board, which is intended
to allow community input into the policing process. Aside from
the locally elected representatives, up to nine members of the
public will sit on each of the 29 bodies set up across the North,
including four in Belfast.
Sinn Fein reaffirmed its opposition to the new policing
arrangements, which it believes do not bring about the changes
promised under the Good Friday Agreement as outlined in the
proposals of the Patten Commission.
"This is not an issue of timing," said Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly.
"It is an issue of proper policing and getting that right. Until
these issues have been properly addressed we will not be joining
any police board," he said.
HUMAN RIGHTS RESIGNATIONS
In another example of vital reforms mired in controversy, two
founder members of the Human Rights Commission resigned today,
expressing concerns at the body's failures.
The resignations have highlighted the increasing disillusionment
among nationalists at the British government's failure to promote
an equality aganda.
Inez McCormack, regional secretary of the Unison union in the
province, and Professor Christine Bell, professor of public
international law at the University of Ulster, wrote to John Reid
tendering their resignations with immediate effect.
They both expressed their long-standing concerns at the failure
of the Commission to effectively promote and protect human rights
as mandated by the Good Friday Agreement, pointing out that the
powers and resources given to the Commission were inadequate to
its task, compromising its independence and effectiveness.
The Commission was set up in 1999, a year after the signing of
the Agreement, with the aim of ensuring the human rights of
everyone were fully and firmly protected in law, policy and
practice. Both women had been due to serve until March 2004.
RM Distribution and others. Articles may be reprinted with credit.
RM Distribution
Irish Republican News and Information
http://irlnet.com/rmlist/
PO Box 160, Galway, Ireland PO Box 8630, Austin TX 78713, USA
mailto:rmlist-reply@irlnet.com
Back to discussion page RA home page