Daily Ireland, April 8, 2005
Designed to succeed
by Jarlath Kearney
“The atmosphere was getting poisonous for the last few months. If things
remained where they were, things were going to get more and more poisonous.
If the situation had continued without an initiative like this, I think the
whole thing would just have gone down the tubes in the months ahead and I
could not, as part of a leadership, allow that to happen.” (Gerry Adams)
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams yesterday declared that his landmark appeal
for the IRA to embrace purely political activities was “not initiated to
fail”.
The West Belfast MP was speaking to the media in Belfast after confirmation
from the IRA that it is now giving “due consideration” to the historic
address.
Mr Adams’ comments were warmly welcomed by the Catholic Primate of Ireland,
Archbishop Sean Brady as “helpful and very significant”.
Speaking from Rome, Archibishop Brady said: “If acted upon convincingly and
conclusively, they have the potential to unlock a new and fresh hope in the
possibility of a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
“A new and a better way is possible. This is the way of exclusively
political and democratic activity, the way of patient dialogue and
understanding, the way of equality and integrity, with shared respectful
responsibility for our common future and success.”
Mr Adams repeatedly refused to be drawn on speculative remarks about the
outcome of the IRA’s internal review. He flatly rejected any suggestion that
Sinn Féin is merely engaged in a pre-election media stunt.
“I didn’t say what I said yesterday to fail. I said what I said yesterday to
succeed,” Mr Adams said.
“It was aimed at leapfrogging over the difficulties. It was aimed at
clearing the decks.
“It was an attempt to create conditions where there can be proper
engagement. This is about leadership. It is about trying to give leadership
in difficult circumstances.
“The atmosphere was getting poisonous for the last few months. If things
remained where they were, things were going to get more and more poisonous.
“If the situation had continued without an initiative like this, I think the
whole thing would just have gone down the tubes in the months ahead and I
could not, as part of a leadership, allow that to happen,” Mr Adams said.
Referring to the initiative as “a very sensitive and delicate part in this
new phase in the process”, Mr Adams admitted that many republicans will have
difficulties with the development.
“This is going to be a very difficult discussion for republicans to engage
in, and don’t think for one moment that when I made my remarks republicans
were jumping up and down in front of their television screens and shouting
‘hallelujah’,” Mr Adams said.
“I want to see people take ownership of this debate.
“This is a very, very difficult issue for people to come to terms with and
they have to be given the space,” he said.
Mr Adams also repeated his insistence that a viable, non-violent political
alternative now exists to replace armed struggle.
“I was one of those people who always argued for an alternative and who
defended, when there was a need to defend, armed struggle.
“It is now my view that there is an alternative. There is a change in the
confidence of nationalist and republican people throughout this entire
island.
“There is, for the first time since the 1920s, a viable Sinn Féin structure
throughout the entire island. There is an all-Ireland agenda.
“The Good Friday Agreement essentially is an accommodation within an
all-Ireland context, so all of those issues need to be driven ahead.
“The way forward is the way that I outlined. Those of us who want this to
work have a duty to take risks for peace and to try and give others from
opposite political views the opportunity to work with us in the time ahead.
I have set out the course of action that we want people to take and I’m not
going to unsay that,” Mr Adams added.
Last night the SDLP leader Mark Durkan stated that, while he personally
wanted to find “positives” in the development, the SDLP’s view is that
people “have to be cautious” of Mr Adams’ remarks.
“We need to keep the positive pressure on the provisional movement. The
SDLP and democratic Ireland have set the standard for the IRA and
paramilitaries.
“We’re not going to exclude Sinn Féin, but we’re demanding that the
provisional movement cleans up its act,” Mr Durkan said.
