The Five Demands

Le dichiarazioni del leader dello Sinn Fein in occasione del lancio della campagna elettorale del partito

Gerry Adams si è detto contrariato dalle insinuazioni che lo Sinn Fein fosse al corrente di quanto sarebbe accaduto ad Omagh, dove sabato 2 aprile il neo agente della PSNI – Ronan Kerr – è rimasto vittima di una booby trap bomb piazzata sotto la sua auto.
Respinta anche l’accusa di supportare Gerry McGeough – detenuto a Maghaberry per l’accusa di tentato omicidio di un soldato dell’UDR risalente a 30 anni fa – e condannando allo stesso tempo le azioni dei dissidenti.
Chiaro il riferimento della lettera di Michelle Gildernew, rappresentante del Fermanagh/South Tyrone, in supporto di McGeough e letta durante l’ultima udienza. Adams ha detto la signora Gildernew aveva il diritto di difendere i suoi elettori.
Alla domanda se concorda con l’affermazione di Martin McGuinness che aveva accusato i dissidenti di essere dei traditori, Gerry Adams ha affermato che ‘è anche peggio’, perchè le loro azioni “non hanno senso” e  “nessuna giustificazione”.
Lo Sinn Fein aveva in un primo momento considerato di rimandare il lancio della campagna elettorale, ma è ritornato sui propri passi.
“Più ci abbiamo pensato e discusso, e più importante ci è sembrato che il processo politico non potesse diventare un ostaggio di un gruppo non rappresentativo che ha assassinato l’agente Kerr,” ha detto.

“Il processo di pace è troppo importante per questo”.
“Quindi siamo qui determinati a continuare a fare il lavoro della politica; per continuare a difendere le istituzioni politiche e per continuare a lavorare per la gente comune e dimostrare ciò che è il repubblicanesimo”.

Articoli Correlati

• VIDEO: Adams: ‘Futile’ attack on peace process (bbc.co.uk)
• Omagh bomb: ‘this murder must be the last’ (telegraph.co.uk)
• Robinson appeal over car bombing (bbc.co.uk)
• The response to Con. Kerr’s murder must be measured yet decisive (sluggerotoole.com)
• Terrorism Returns To Northern Ireland As Bomb Attack Kills Police Officer (businessinsider.com)
• Police Officer Dies In Booby-Trap Car Bomb (news.sky.com)
• Police officer murder ‘will not deter recruits’ (independent.co.uk)
• Policeman killed in car bomb attack (mirror.co.uk)
• Young police officer killed by car bomb in Northern Ireland (mirror.co.uk)
• Policeman killed in Omagh car bomb attack (independent.co.uk)
• Policeman killed by car bomb in Northern Ireland (nationalpost.com)

Gerry Adams: Sinn Fein ‘no dissident mixed messages’ (BBC News Northern Ireland)
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has rejected Ulster Unionist claims that his party is not doing enough to tackle dissident republicans.
Speaking at his party’s campaign launch, Mr Adams said people should not assume his organisation had knowledge of these groups.
He also rejected the notion his party was sending out mixed messages by standing up for dissident Gerry McGeough on the one hand and condemning dissidents on the other.
The former IRA man was found guilty in February of the attempted murder of an off-duty UDR soldier 30 years ago.
A character reference supplied by Fermanagh/South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew was read out in court last week ahead of sentencing.
Mr Adams said Mrs Gildernew was entitled to defend her constituents.
‘No justification’
Asked if he agreed with Martin McGuinness’s remark in 2009 that dissidents were “traitors”, he said it was “worse than that”.
He said their actions made “no sense” and had “no justification”.
The party said it had considered postponing Monday’s campaign launch following the murder of police officer Ronan Kerr, but decided to go ahead to show the primacy of politics.
“The more we thought about it and discussed it, the more important it seemed to us that the political process cannot become a hostage to the unrepresentative group which murdered Constable Kerr,” he said.
“The peace process is too important for that.
“So we stand here determined to keep making politics work; to keep defending the political institutions and keep delivering for ordinary people and demonstrating what republicanism is about.”