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July 10, 2005

Sinn Fein Week In Review

Sinn Fein
Week in Review
1 to 9 July 2005

Adams offers sympathy and solidarity to people of London

Speaking on 7 July, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams condemned
the bomb attacks in London that morning. Mr Adams sent a
message of sympathy and solidarity to the Tony Blair and to the
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.

Mr Adams said: `I condemn the bomb attacks in London this
morning. I have sent a message of sympathy and solidarity to
Mr. Blair and the London Mayor Ken Livingstone. On behalf of
Sinn Féin I offer my sincere condolences to the victims and the
families of those killed and injured and to the people of
London.'
----

Mayors to open books of condolences

In councils throughout the north of Ireland, where there are
Sinn Fein First Citizens or Deputy First Citizens, Books of
Condolences for the people of London are to be opened. There
will be Books of Condolences in Derry City, Down District,
Magherafelt, Dungannon, Strabane, Fermanagh, Omagh, Cookstown,
Moyle and Newry Armagh.

Sinn Féin Mayor of Moyle District Council, Cllr Oliver McMullan
said:

`Sinn Féin condemn the bomb attacks in London. On behalf of
Sinn Féin I offer my sincere condolences to the victims and the
families of those killed and injured and to the people of
London.'
----

Parades decisions challenged

On 5 July Gerry Adams said Sinn Fein would challenge the
decision by the Parades Commission to force three Orange Order
parades through predominantly nationalist areas.

Mr Adams said the marches were `designed to cause offence to
nationalist residents' and that `if this was simply about
culture then Orange lodges and their followers would choose
routes through areas where they are welcome'.

Last year a similar decision by the Parades Commission on the
Ardoyne 12th July parade resulted in widespread public
disorder. `It was only through the efforts of republicans on
the ground that serious injuries were prevented' Mr Adams said,
adding `the political damage has resounded to this day'.

That decision, he said, `buoyed' the Orange Orange in refusal
to engage `in genuine and meaningful dialogue with the
community in Ardoyne over the past 12 months'. He said the
Commission had `rewarded Orange Order intransigence with
parades in both Ardoyne and along the Springfield Road'.

Mr Adams said his view was that the Commission based their
decision `on a false belief that republicans can once again
deal with the fall out from their decision on the ground on the
day. The notion that republicans can simply deal with bad
decisions by the Parades Commission time and again is not
tenable.'

He concluded that Sinn Féin wanted to see a peaceful summer and
would do `all we can' to achieve this. `But when decisions by
the Parades Commission are destined to achieve exactly the
opposite result then a very difficult situation is created.
This is not sensible. It is not acceptable.'

His comments were echoed by Sinn Féin Assembly member for North
Belfast Gerry Kelly, who said the Parade Commission decision to
allow three Orange Order parades through nationalist areas,
including Ardoyne on the evening of July 12th as 'deeply flawed
and without logic'.

West Belfast Sinn Féin Councillor Tom Hartley added his concern
over the Orange Order march along the nationalist Springfield
Road on the morning of 12 July.

Meanwhile in East Belfast Sinn Féin Representative Deborah
Devenny blamed loyalists for attacking a number of homes in the
Short Strand area over the weekend. Ms Devenny said a loyalist
gang was seen throwing stones and bottles at a number of
nationalist homes in the area.

She said the attacks `came in the wake of the weekend Orange
Order and UVF parade past the Short Strand and tensions were
obviously running high'. She appealed for nationalists in the
area to `remain vigilant in the days approaching the twelfth.'

Elsewhere, Sinn Féin Assembly member for Upper Bann John O'Dowd
said that the Parades Commission could have come to `no other
decision' than to re-route this weekends Drumcree Orange march
away from the Garvaghy Road.

Mr O'Dowd said the parade was `little more than a sectarian
coat trailing exercise through the Catholic community in
Portadown', adding `the Parades Commission have an obligation
to stand up to these threats and make it very clear to the
Orange Order and their allies that the only way to resolve the
issue of contentious parades is through a process of real and
meaningful dialogue with local residents.'

On 7 July, Gerry Kelly urged the Parades Commission to act
decisively after the Ardoyne Dialogue Group offered a generous
compromise to resolve the serious difficulties over the July
12th Orange parade through nationalist areas in North Belfast.
Mr Kelly also revealed that Sinn Féin had requested that Dermot
Ahern be present in North Belfast on July 12th.

Mr Kelly said `despite the obvious anger that now exists within
the nationalist community in Ardoyne the local residents have
this morning offered a generous compromise arrangement which
would if adopted significantly defuse tensions and assist the
task of maintaining calm across the city. Local residents have
this morning stated that they would facilitate a parade in the
morning if the evening leg was re-routed away from nationalist
homes. The Parades Commission and indeed the Orange Order have
an obligation to act now on the back of this offer. This move
has the potential to transform this situation and if accepted
would obviously create a much better atmosphere for the Orange
Order and local residents to engage in meaningful dialogue in
the future to find a resolution of this issue.'

Mr Kelly also revealed that Sinn Féin had contacted the Irish
government to invite the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot
Ahern to come to North Belfast on July 12th to observe the
situation.

Meanwhile in Europe, Sinn Féin MEP's Bairbre de Brún and Mary
Lou McDonald raised the issue of Orange Order parades with the
GUE/NGL group at the EU Parliament. Ms de Brún said there was a
`very supportive' response from the GUE/NGL group on the issue
of parades and particularly the situation in Belfast.
----

Sinn Fein leadership in London

On 5 July Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP and Martin
McGuinness MP were in London tomorrow, to host a Sinn Féin
Reception at Westminster, alongside party colleagues Kathy
Stanton MLA and Cllr Pearse Doherty.

The reception was attended by a large number of cross party MPs
and peers, representatives of the London Mayor's Office and
from a range local authorities, a number of Trade Union General
Secretaries, influential people from the Irish community,
business sector, diplomatic representatives, media other
sectors.

Sinn Féin Assembly member for North Belfast Kathy Stanton took
the opportunity to raise the issue of the Parades Commission
rulings on Orange Order parade through three nationalist areas
including Ardoyne.
----

Challenge to fight poverty

On 6 July Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún urged world leaders to
'make a real difference by assisting the developing world in
their fight against poverty.'

Ms de Brún was speaking from Strasbourg as MEPs gathered to
vote on the issue of global poverty in the European Parliament.
She was supported by colleague Mary Lou McDonald, on the
resolution on tackling world poverty and also signed a white
ribbon, which stretched around the plenary chamber of the
parliament building, calling on world leaders to 'Make Poverty
History'. The ribbon will be sent to the G8 Summit at
Gleneagles.

Ms de Brún said: `320 million Africans live on less than one
dollar a day and the situation has been aggravated by the fact
that 25 million of the 40 million people who are HIV-positive
live in Africa. The debt cancellation announced by Tony Blair
on the eve of the G8 summit, covering 2 billion dollars a year
applies to 18 of the 165 developing countries and concerns only
International Financial Institutions.'

She added `Combating global poverty will require all donors to
increase the quantity and improve the quality of aid, make
trade fairer and relieve unsustainable debt. Two thirds of
developing countries spend more on servicing debt than on basic
social services. Moreover, much aid remains 'tied aid', meaning
that money is often given on the condition that goods and
services are bought from the donor country.'

She concluded `Developing countries should not be forced by
international agreements into adopting economic policies that
are against the interests of their own populations, such as
privatising basic services such as education, health or water
supply. People across the world are expecting action, and
rightly questioning the commitment of world leaders to
adequately address these issues. We require action, not empty
rhetoric.'

Week in Review is circulated by Sinn Fein MPs. Telephone 020
7219 8162. Email fisherj@parliament.uk or visit
http://www.sinnfein.ie
Posted by: Unknown / 10:42 AM
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