Friday, February 5, 2010

DUP and Sinn Féin wake up to the fact that implosion of their power-sharing deal wasn’t a sustainable way forward


















Dear All

Good news for the people of Northern Ireland, the DUP and Sinn Féin woke up to the fact that implosion of their power-sharing deal wasn’t a sustainable way forward.

The fact is that both groups need each other; a new deal has been thrashed out and Province’s power-sharing institutions have been saved from collapse.

If the process has collapsed then the uproar on all sides would have made those who lead the parties’ having an untenable position with an angry public.

The history of Northern Ireland has been troubled but a corner has been turned from which there is no going back.

There are still many problems to solve but the realisation is the process cannot be derailed by anyone’s particular gripe.

The important obstacle has been overcome and that leaves the way clear for Police and Justice to be returned back to the Irish people as envisaged in the 2006 St Andrews agreement.

The agreement provides for the establishment of a working group to look at reforming the regulation of contentious parades and it is important that everyone gets behind the working group on what is a difficult issue.

The vote for a Justice Ministry in the Northern Ireland Assembly takes place on the 9th of March; this is a landmark day in the history of Northern Ireland which in time will be seen as an historic event.

Everyone in the Northern Ireland Assembly should vote yes, this isn’t a political matter anymore but a matter for the people.

So, well done all round for those who saw sense.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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