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Category: Archive

Editorial: election rumors

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

Then, the intense speculation had the IRA disarmed, disbanded and out of business long before the IRA in fact had decided to go down that road. This has not stopped the rumors from running once again. And now, though this page believes strongly that elections should be called regardless of whether movement is forthcoming from the IRA, both governments have made it plain that without it, any talk of getting the Northern Ireland government, with Sinn Fein’s participation, back on its feet is a waste of time. That is the unfortunate reality.
Everyone knows what’s on offer from the British government, what the IRA and the Unionists have to do to clinch the deal and restore stable, devolved government to Northern Ireland. It has been on the table since the Weston Park negotiations of July 2002. And yet, after so many months, we are still in the realm of speculation.
Last April it appeared that we were about to make the leap from speculation to actuality. It did not happen, and the subsequent disappointment was deep. As to why it did not, that too remains in the realm of speculation, since the thinking of the ruling council of the IRA is a closeted body that does not make its deliberations known. Neither has it made its deliberations known this time.
Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein’s president, has shed little light on the situation. He has said that this process will end up with a situation where there are no armed groups on the island of Ireland but added that “that is a journey we are still on.”
The question arises as to why, since everyone knows where the journey will end, it should take so long to get there? We could reach there tomorrow with the will to take the final step.

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