Imsh Oemociuc December 99/January 2000 Connolly Association: campaigning for a united and independent Ireland ISSN 0021-1125 60p Remembering | Legacy of Robert Hamlll: a patriot and antl-Cathollc a family crying mayor of Cork bigotry out for Justice Page 4 Page 7 j Pa$e 5 PEACE PROCESS Bobbie Heatley ON 29 November, 19 months after the signing of the Good Friday agreement and after 601 days of on-off negotiations, the Ulster Unionist Party finally agreed to allow the cross-party, inclusive, responsibility-sharing executive to be set up at Stormont. Within days of ministers being nominated under the complicated d'Hont system, the cross-border body was activated, devolutionary powers handed over to the Assembly and the appointment of an interlocutor to the decommissioning body was made by the Irish Republican Army. In order to get to this point, David Trimble had, again, to step outside the terms of both the agreement and the Mitchell review, in so doing, creating another hostage to fortune. Trimble's apologists insisted that he had no other option. Sinn Fein has some understanding for that viewpoint. However, in violation of the Mitchell Stuck in the middle with you: David Trimble's Ulster Unionists have finally jumped. But will they be able to cope with the rigours of a genuine power-sharing recommendations, meticulously crafted arrangement commlted to implementing equality throughout the six counties. Pictured: new ministers Bairbre de Brun, David Trimble and Martin McGuinness to stay within the terms of the agreement, Trimble, backed by the percent vote in their favour on a joint placating unionists, although, until quite generosity in making funds available to dependent upon it. Ulster Unionist Council, has set a new ticket. Controversial measures can be recently, these two players were clearly meet the social needs of the common Meanwhile, there should be no deadline for the IRA to hand over its enacted provided that one of the acting, through the UUP, in consort. people and Northern Ireland is no backtracking on the part of the British weapons. Failure to meet this new communities casts a 40 percent vote in Gerry Adams recently issued a coded different in that respect. government. unilaterally-imposed deadline will result favour and the overall result is 60 warning to Downing Street of the Despite the good intentions of people The Patten recommendation on in the UUP withdrawing from the percent. Uncontroversial matters can be dangers to the whole process of allowing such as the SDLP's Mark Durkan, the police reform musi be implemented executive, threatening the gains of the enacted on the basis of a simple majority. current UUP difficulties entice it into Sinn Fein 'ministers' and even some pro- swiftly and improvements outlined by entire peace process. As the shenanigans to ensure that the making more concessions to unionism agreement UUP office holders, the civil and human rights bodies, such as It is not just republicans who see that SDLP's Seamus Mallon was for the benefit of short-term incremental potential for a sectarian scrambling after the independent Committee on the the move will make decommissioning successfully able to resume his position gain. very limited resources will be difficult to Administration of Justice, incorporated. more difficult to obtain. as joint first 'minister', despite his Yet it is still possible that, despite avoid in a context which is regarded by The British government's overdue Given that, at this stage, British resignation during the summer over what the DUP and other unionist sceptics as a further 'institutionalisation' strategy papers for demilitarisation and government tactics are to get incremental UUP stalling, clearly demonstrate, there rejectionists threaten, the erstwhile of sectarianism. changes to the way in which justice is steps forward, the threat may not is extremely flimsy support among wreckers will imperceptibly ease But, the primary reason for taking the administered must also be published. materialise in February but it does, as unionists in general for the agreement. themselves into their cushy Assembly unionist rejectionist threat to the The message must be unambiguous Martin McGuinness put it, take us Indeed, unionists in the Assembly are seats and permit things to function. Assembly seriously is the fact that other over fundamental democratic reform: forward into uncertainty. split, with anti-agreement forces, Among the inducements are greater agreement institutions have been made there is no going back. The fragility of the whole process, including UUP dissidents, matching the local TV and news-media exposure, insofar as it depends on UUP UUP on a 29:29 seats basis. With only good perks and salaries, while some will compliance, is illustrated by the 58 per cent support from within his own view it as a stepping-stone to From civil rights to equal rights manoeuvres that were required to get us party Trimble is continually faced with Westminster. Connolly Association annual conference to this point. the possibility of major defections from Nevertheless, there are outside Despite the new precondition and a his assembly group. pressures inhibiting them from 4 March 2000 post-dated resignation letter to the UUP, The danger is that a logjammed disregarding their habitual sectarian Stephen Lawrence Room predilections. Despite its system of in the event of IRA non-compliance, Assembly could lead to it being Britannia Street Conference Centre Trimble secured only a 58 per cent mothballed, making inoperable the other checks and balances, there is a danger backing for his position. Worse still, institutions. For those who wish to see that the Assembly will simply lock them London WC1X under the agreement there are three ways politics replace armed conflict but who in to these old ways. Speakers: Maggie Beirne, in which vote-taking can be effected in are also determined that top-to-bottom Apart from its role in the cross- Committee on Administration of Justice the Assembly. reform of the six counties is delivered, border institutions, the Assembly is Sean Redmond, TUIUI For the election of the first and the the situation is complex. nothing more than a glorified county joint-first 'ministers' each of the In the opinion of nationalists and council whose purse-strings are held by Public meeting 10:30 am, all welcome. designated communities, unionist and republicans, the Northern Ireland Office tfie occupant of 11 Downing Street. The Conference business 2pm (delegates and observers only) nationalist, has to return a greater than 50 has already acquired a reputation for Exchequer is not noted for its over Page 10 Irish Democrat December 1999/January 2000 Irish Democrat December 1999/January 2000 Page I| Page 3 News iBish Oemociuc Minister rejects inquiry pleas Founded 1939 Volume 54. Number 6 NEWS IN BRIEF The political road O'NEILL SHOOTING State widens net In Its Another Clegg appeal Democrat reporter Lee Clegg was back in court at the end of November in an attempt to overturn his THE ESTABLISHMENT of a power-sharing executive and the all- RELATIVES' CAMPAIGN for an remaining conviction of 'unlawfully Ireland bodies is a vindication of the policy for uniting Ireland independent inquiry into the killing of fight against 'terrorism' wounding' Karen Reilly. the Belfast IRA volunteer Diarmuid O'Neill by an teenager killed b\ members of the advocated by the Connolly Association for over 40 years. That This was particularly true in relation to armed Metropolitan Police unit in PTA ABOLITION current phase of the Irish peace process provisions between 1974 and 1991. Paratroop regiment along with Martin policy, worked out by the late Desmond Greaves when he was London in 1996 received another seven-day detention and exclusion unveiled by John Hume and Gerry 6,097 (86 per cent) were released Peake in 1990. orders, which were widely condemned editor of this paper, was based on the recognition that there are only setback in November, despite winning Democrat reporter Adams, many Irish people in Britain without charge. Clegg, who has been allowed to as a form of temporary exile. two ways of ending partition: by physical force or by obtaining the support of Hammersmith coroner, Dr were afraid to publicly discuss, let alone Commenting on the government's resume his army career, was eventually THE PREVENTION of Terrorism Act, John Burton, and Irish foreign affairs Joy at the PTA's passing, along with criticise, British government policy in decision to abolish the PTA, Connolly acquitted of murdering Karen Reilly at majority northern consent to a united Ireland. one of the most dreaded, controversial minister David Andrews. an explicit recognition that militant the North for fear of bringing on the Association general secretary Enda an appeal hearing in March following the and draconian pieces of British The physical-force option involved taking up the IRA's guerrilla The Hammersmith coroner wrote to republicanism is no longer a major attentions of the authorities as Finlay said: "While we are delighted to presentation of new ballistic evidence legislation, is finally being consigned to struggle suspended at the time of the 1921 truce in the Anglo-Irish Home Office minister Paul Boateng in threat, will, however, be tempered by its 'republican sympathisers'. note its demise, it should be remembered and a major campaign by elements October, asking him to consider a history, only to be replaced by further replacement by all-encompassing Sadly, like the PTA, the new that the main legacy of the PTA is an war. But physical force cannot succeed unless one has more force within the British establishment. even wider-ranging 'anti-terrorist' legislation aimed at the new "enemies of judicial inquiry on grounds of the measures to be put before the British attack on civil liberties and human rights.