8/9 May 1999
ARD COMHAIRLE POLITICAL REPORT
A growing force for change
The period since Sinn Fein last assembled for its Ard Fheis has been marked by a continued growth in the political strength of our party. Increased electoral support has been matched by the unprecedented development of the party's organisational capability.
There is a demand for change in Ireland today and Sinn Fein's activists - through their daily work in representing voters, leading campaigns and building the party - are leading those demands. Sinn Fein, with others, developed the peace process and with the historic decisions taken at our last Ard Fheis, opened up the potential for a durable peace with justice in Ireland.
But the past year has also exposed those who wish to hold back change. The continued failure by the Unionist political leadership to implement the Good Friday Agreement and their attempts to renegotiate it are designed to thwart the will of the people and to cling to the failed politics of the past.
Sinn Fein's priorities in the year ahead will be to build on this historic opportunity, to set up the structures and mechanisms which can move us out of conflict and towards a lasting peace.
Sinn Fein will also contest elections in coming months which have the potential to transform the face of Irish politics. Our party is a growing force for radical, deep-seated change in Ireland and the coming year will provide further opportunities for broadening the struggle for a new Ireland.
A growing mandate
At our last Ard Fheis we celebrated our success in electing a Sinn Fein TD to Leinster House and increasing our vote throughout the 26 Counties. These successes followed the election of two Sinn Fein MPs and the strongest electoral mandate in decades in the Six Counties.
Since then our party has scaled new heights with the election of 18 Assembly members on an increased vote.
Political strength is the key to further advances and we look forward with confidence to June and the local government elections in the 26 Counties and the EU elections throughout the country.
In particular, the local elections will be a crucial test. They will signal the emergence of Sinn Fein as the major radical force in Irish politics. The advances will have been made through hard work and sound organisation and we are confident that the republican project will be greatly advanced in every part of Ireland with the election of activists committed to concepts of true social and economic justice, and dedicated to achieving the Irish people's right to national self determination.
The greatest evidence of the potential of Sinn Fein is the continued growth of and support for Ogra Shinn Fein. Having organised themselves as young republicans their role within the party structure is now a pivotal one. Ogra Shinn Fein has been described by many within the media as the fastest growing political grouping in Ireland. This is the result of a self-education programme which is second to no other youth organisation. Blend this with their unique ability to mobilise and we can understand that the aim of Ogra Shinn Fein to become the largest youth section of any political party is well within their grasp.
European Union
Sinn Fein wants to see a Europe that is truly representative of its people. This is not the case with the EU today. We want to highlight the type of Europe that is truly representative of its people. This is not the case with the EU today. We want to highlight the type of Europe that Irish socialist republicans want to be involved in. It must be a people's Europe where the aim of policy and the goals of its institutions should be to improve the quality of life in terms of access to housing, health services, education and employment that guarantees an adequate standard of living.
We want to see a Europe that will act collectively to promote equality across the EU in terms of the rights of women, children, workers, disadvantaged and marginalised communities. We want to see a Europe that will tackle racism and act decisively to protect and enhance our environment aat an EU level.
We want to be part of a Europe run democratically from the lowest possible level, from the bottom to top, not the reverse, as is the case today.
We want to be part of a Europe that uses its considerable economic power to pursue positive and just causes internationally, not abusing weak and impoverished regions through exploitative trade agreement. The Europe we want to be part of will act to eliminate Third World debt and aid those states in rebuilding their economies without the burdens they currently endure.
Good Friday Agreement
The historic decision, taken at our last Ard Fheis, to advocate a Yes vote in the referendums on the Good Friday Agreement, was taken after weeks of intense debate. The debate was conducted in the context of our overall objectives and the final decision recognised the potential of the new arrangements to move us towards those objectives.
Sinn Fein made substantial concessions - particularly with regard to changes to Articles 2 & 3 and to entering an Assembly - which are ignored by those who repeat the Unionist propaganda that republicans have given nothing.
Sinn Fein committed itself to implementing the Agreement and have participated in the process on that basis and in good faith. Our party has honoured all its commitments.
The Unionist political leadership, however, has not. They have refused to implement the Agreement. Instead they are trying to renegotiate what they signed up to on Good Friday 1998. The Executive and the all-Ireland Ministerial Council should have been set up and power transferred to those bodies. Instead, they have been held up by Unionist intransigence.
UUP demands on decommissioning are outside the Agreement. Sinn Fein cannot meet those demands. We wish to reiterate that our party remains committed to removing the causes of conflict and taking all the guns - British and Irish - out of Irish politics.
Sinn Fein will continue to press the two governments to live up to their responsibility to fully implement the Agreement.
The Agreement is part of a much wider process of conflict resolution and Sinn Fein will seek to ensure that progress is made across the wide spectrum of issues.
Justice, equality and human rights
Nothing has illustrated more clearly the need to move away from the failed politics of the Six County state than the ten-month loyalist siege of the nationalist people of Portadown's Garvaghy Road. The intimidation, attacks and murder - including that of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson - have been carried out by forces hostile to change and lasting peace.
The situation on the Garvaghy Road and the ongoing loyalist death squad attacks on the nationalist community elsewhere point up the central need to deal with issues of justice, equality and human rights.
Laws must be put in place and practices adopted which ensure that the entitlements and dignity of people are conceded. The economic and cultural discrimination against nationalists must be addressed by a programme of legislative and other measures which reverse decades of second-class citizenship. People must be free from sectarian harassment.
Economic justice must also be an element in the building of a new Ireland. Economic development, fair employment and an end to discrimination are other important areas which must be dealt with. Repressive legislation must be repealed.
The policing issue is central to the achievement of a lasting peace. The RUC has been repeatedly exposed as an unacceptable force and they must be disbanded. Any new police service must be representative of, and accountable to the community it serves.
British military forces continue to be deployed and in areas such as South Armagh, their patrolling continues at a high level. They must begin demilitarisation. They should be withdrawn to barracks pending their return to Britain. The Royal Irish Regiment must be removed permanently from contact with the civilian population pending the disbandment of its locally deployed units.
Conclusion
In a rapidly changing Ireland, Sinn Fein is the fastest growing political force throughout the country. It is also the only political party with a comprehensive analysis of the problems which face our country today. From the inequality and social divisions generated by the `Celtic Tiger' economy to the stalled potential of the Good Friday Agreement, Sinn Fein is to the fore in speaking for the people of no property.
No other party is organised throughout Ireland and no other party represents its supporters with the same energy and commitment as shown by Sinn Fein activists. Our tasks for the year ahead must include broadening and deepening that base of activists and supporters. The potential of Sinn Fein to grow is enormous and with that growing political strength will come the dynamic for lasting peace and social and economic equality.
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