Donaldson responds to SF Ard Fheis Decision
In response to Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis decision on policing, UUP Party Officer Kenny Donaldson has said:
“Sunday’s decision was a further acknowledgement of, political realism by the Republican Movement. In 1986 that Movement ended its’ abstentionism within Dail Eireann, it then mandated the entering into of a partitionist Government at Stormont, and finally began the process of putting its arms beyond use. The Movement’s latest initiative of, verbally giving credence to the law and order agencies of this Region of the United Kingdom means the Republican Movement is on the verge of coming full circle and of slowly entering the real world of fully peaceful and democratic politics.
“Provisional Republicanism has assented to the political reality that Northern Ireland is an integral Region of the United Kingdom. The Republican Movement is seeking to redefine itself and whilst the leaders of that Movement will not publicly state that the past actions carried out in the name of that Movement were ‘deeply
flawed and counterproductive to the efforts in building a just and fair society for all,’ the decisions taken by the Republican leadership over the years say otherwise.”
Kenny added: “The Republican Movement are obliged to now roll out Sunday’s decision in practice. Provisional
Sinn Fein must encourage republicans to support the Police and all other law and order agencies. The days of self policing and internal housekeeping must be now consigned to the past. There is one Police Service in Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which is in place to serve and protect all who reside within our Region.
“Northern Ireland is on the verge of entering a new era, long gone are the cries of Michael Collins, “our only weapon is our refusal’,” concluded Kenny.