By Irish political journalist JOHN COULTER
IRISH republicans must re-negotiate their political relationship with unionists, the president of the North’s largest nationalist party, Sinn Fein, has urged.
The plea came from Gerry Adams, who is also an MP and Assembly member for West Belfast, one of the North’s most republican constituencies.
He made his remarks at a ceremony in Belfast where the Irish tricolour was officially placed in the office of the Lord Mayor, who this year is Sinn Fein’s Councillor Tom Hartley.
The City Council was until a few years ago one of the most visible bastions of unionism in the North.
Mr Adams was joined at the flag ceremony by other Sinn Fein chairpersons of local authorities from across the North.
He said: ‘Sinn Fein is the largest party in Belfast but the presence of Sinn Fein Chairpersons and Mayors on so many councils across Ulster is a potent reminder of the growth of the party in recent years.
‘One of the great challenges facing us in the time ahead is utilising that political strength to advance our republican goal and to deliver for those who have placed their confidence and trust in us.
‘Citizens have the right to, and the desire for, material benefits and to effective political representation and our duty is to deliver that.
‘At a time of great change in our society, as well as increasing economic difficulties, our focus has to be on improving the living conditions for citizens, on building prosperity and equality, while advancing toward national freedom.’
Mr Adams emphasised that a major part of this policy would involve engaging with the DUP, which was now the largest party in Northern unionism.
He added: ‘A crucial part of our work is the need for us to develop an entirely new relationship with unionism. Irish Republicans believe in a United Ireland.
‘We believe it is in the best interests of all the people who live on this island that British government interference and jurisdiction are ended.
‘Unionists have a different view, a different opinion. The challenge for us is to persuade them of the value of the republican and democratic position.
‘There is an understandable frustration and annoyance, and not just among nationalists and republicans, at the DUP’s refusal to engage properly on issues like education, the environment, the Irish language, and of course policing powers.
‘Today, the DUP finds itself in a place it never wanted to be – a partnership government – in which the checks and balances of the Good Friday Agreement and the St Andrews Agreement, have a DUP Minister on an equal status with a Sinn Fein Minister in the Joint Office of First and deputy First Minister.
‘As Unionism comes to terms with these realities, its various tendencies seem to be in a process of gradual re-alignment. So, progress is slow.
‘This week, after an unnecessarily long negotiation, the DUP and Sinn Fein set out areas of progress between us on the transfer of policing and justice powers.
‘But there is still work to be done on this, including on the timeframe for transfer. In my opinion the vast majority of citizens want transfer to take place; they want the political institutions to work effectively.
‘They want the institutions to be delivering for them on all these matters, as well as on other bread and butter issues; like rising energy costs and the crisis on the housing market.
‘So, part of our job of work in the time ahead is to ensure the institutions do deliver.
‘That means keeping our eye firmly fixed on our political goals as we continue to negotiate with the DUP and the two governments on all of these issues.’
A crucial test of whether this supposed progress between the DUP and Sinn Fein will win favour with the unionist electorate will come in mid September in a local council by-election in the border council of Fermanagh.
This is a ‘must win’ poll for the DUP. This is a key reason why the party has selected Mrs Arlene Foster, one of its Stormont Executive ministers, as the candidate in the hope that a big name will secure victory.
Sinn Fein has also experienced problems in recent days with its republican power base.
Two leading Sinn Fein councillors were allegedly physically attacked in the Co Antrim unionist town of Ballymena, not by loyalists, but by people claiming to be ‘young republicans’.
Northern security forces have already warned about the threat from so-called dissident republicans – these are republicans who have not accepted the peace process and still want to continue the concept of ‘armed struggle’.
Among these dissidents are thought to be the Real IRA, Continuity IRA and elements of the Irish National Liberation Army.
The two North Antrim councillors were thought to be trying to intervene over a bonfire being built to commemorate the anniversary of internment in August 1971.
Some previous bonfires in the unionist town marking internment were thought to have been built by elements loyal to the INLA.
In the past, dissident republicans have held short controversial parades in the town which have been criticised by Sinn Fein.
The town is in the heartland of former First Minister Rev Ian Paisley’s North Antrim constituency.