The Five Demands

Il Vice Primo Ministro mette da parte le perplessità sulla prossima visita regale in Irlanda

Guardare avanti e non fossilizzarsi su vecchi rancori. Questo pare essere il succo delle dichiarazioni rilasciate da Martin McGuinness riferendosi alla prossima visita di Regina Elisabetta II nella Repubblica di Irlanda. E’ stata la stessa presidente dell’isola di smeraldo, a stendere il rosso tappeto alla monarca britannica, in linea con la sua politica di riconciliazione.
Guardare avanti, dicevamo. E’ recente la dichiarazione del Primo Ministro Peter Robinson, rilasciata in un’intervista al Belfast Telegraph, attraverso la quale ha affermato di essere pronto, per la prima volta, a mostrare il suo rispetto per la morte di amici cattolici presenziando alle messe.
“Siamo tutti in viaggio e essere in viaggio significa che ci sono situazioni diverse che stiamo per affrontare, e Peter ha identificato la questione della Messa”, ha dichiarato McGuinness.
Tornando alla regina, ha aggiunto:  “Mentre la gente ha il diritto di protestare, penso che protestare sarebbe un errore. In particolare le proteste che potrebbero diventare violente, sarebbero un errore enorme”.
“Queste sono situazioni difficili da affrontare. Si consideri la mia città, per esempio. All’indomani dell’omicidio di 14 persone nella Bloody Sunday, il reggimento dei paracadutisti fu ricevuto a Buckingham Palace e decorato dalla Regina. Se la gente pensa che non rappresenti per me un problema, a prescindere dal nostro punto di vista che l’Irlanda dovrebbe essere libera e unita, allora si sbaglia.”
I repubblicani si oppongono da sempre alle visite reali. Come non ricordare la bomba piazzata alla Coleraine University nel 1997, oppure alle proteste invocate lo scorso anno dall’Ogra Sinn Fein, o il commento più soft rilasciato recentemente da Gerry Adams, che ha definito prematura la visita della Regina in Irlanda.
Martin McGuinness non ha scordato di menzionare i dissidenti, ricordando loro di non essere nella posizione di poter fare affidamento sul sostegno della comunità. “Sono gruppi minuscoli, sia pure pericolosi quando cercano di uccidere la gente.”
“Ci troviamo in una situazione in cui abbiamo 41 tra parlamentari al Dail di Dublino e membri dell’Assembly. Affrontando gli ultimi giorni di questa Assembly, ho grande fiducia che nulla di quello che essi (i dissidenti) potranno fare, potrà destabilizzare le istituzioni supportate dai partiti e dal governo irlandese”.

Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness: any protest against the Queen’s visit would be a huge mistake (Belfast Telegraph)
Deputy First Minister puts misgivings aside over monarch’s Dublin trip
There should be no protests against the Queen’s forthcoming visit to Dublin, Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said.
He also said that republican dissidents have no chance of either destabilising Northern Ireland or breaking up the power sharing government.
The move will be seen as a significant milestone for the Sinn Fein leader.
It runs parallel to Peter Robinson’s recent statement, in another Belfast Telegraph interview, that he would, for the first time, be prepared to show his respect at the death of Catholic friends by attending funeral Masses.
Mr McGuinness said: “We are all on a journey and the journey we are on means there are different situations we are going to have to deal with, and Peter has identified the issue of Mass.”
For his part, he believes people should respect the fact that Irish President Mary McAleese has invited the Queen to Dublin as part of her policy of reconciliation.
“While people have the right to protest, I think protest would be a mistake. Particularly protests that could turn violent. It would be a huge mistake,” he said.
Mr McGuinness explained that the gesture was not an easy one.
“These are tricky situations to deal with. Consider my own city for example. In the aftermath of the murder of 14 people on Bloody Sunday, The Parachute Regiment was rushed up to Buckingham Palace and decorated by the Queen. If people think that doesn’t present a problem for me, quite apart from our view that Ireland should be free and united, then they are mistaken.”
In the past, republicans have attempted to disrupt royal visits — they planted a bomb in Coleraine University in 1977.
Last year, Ogra Sinn Fein, the party’s youth wing, called for protests. And a few weeks ago, Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein President, described the visit as premature but stopped short of calling for protest. His cautious position was endorsed by the Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle at the weekend.
Mr McGuinness has also wished Prince William and Kate Middleton a long and happy marriage “as I would any young couple”.
The deputy First Minister also rounded on republican dissidents saying: “They quite clearly lack support in the community.
“They are minuscule groups, albeit dangerous if they are trying to kill people.”
He believes Sinn Fein successes in the southern elections dealt a psychological blow that dissidents are finding hard to absorb.
“We are developing an all-Ireland agenda,” he said.
“Here we have a situation where we have 41 TDs and MLAs on the island. As we face into the final days of this Assembly I have great confidence that nothing they [the dissidents] can do will destabilise the institutions that were brought about with the support of the parties here and with the support of the Irish government.”
Asked if he had fears for his personal security, he said: “I feel quite confident, though I could be proven wrong, that these people understand there is nothing to be gained and everything to be lost by going down that route.”
He said he knew British and Irish governments had been in contact with dissident leaders and thought this was worthwhile.
He also approved of efforts by community leaders to engage with them, adding: “We in Sinn Fein have offered to meet them but they have not, so far, had the confidence to meet with us.”