Irish American Unity in Action Statement

Published: 4 May, 2003

Irish American Organizations call British postponement of elections in the north of Ireland: “a reprehensible violation of democratic principles.”

The Good Friday Agreement’s implementation legislation called for assembly elections to be held on 1 May 2003. Initially, they were unilaterally postponed by the British Government until 29 May 2003.

Yesterday, the British Government postponed elections into the indefinite future -- “until autumn” -- or until they can achieve the political outcomes they hope to impose.

This is a reprehensible violation of democratic principles. Either there is democracy or there is not, and there can be no democracy without fair elections. Britain’s participation in a war to bring democracy to Iraq while at the same time denying democracy in the north of Ireland is the height of hypocrisy.

The people in the north of Ireland live, work and die there, not Tony Blair and his colleagues in the British Parliament. They should be allowed to cast an honest vote without political manipulation.

Yesterday, Senator Edward Kennedy expressed his concern that this postponement would seriously affect the peace process. He said, “The Unionists cannot forever have a veto on the peace process. The people of Northern Ireland deserve better.”

When our organizations expressed similar concerns last year, we were given assurances from the Irish Government and the U.S. Administration that these elections would take place in May of 2003. Dr. Richard Haass [the US Government’s top official for the Irish peace process] pointed out in October 2002, soon after the suspension of the political institutions by the British, that to postpone an election is to change an election’s result. He is absolutely right.

We expect that the Irish and the American Governments’ responses to this undemocratic action will be severe and helpful in restoring political progress along democratic lines. The British government has unilaterally suspended the political institutions established by this Agreement four times since its signing. It has not implemented promises to demilitarizing the Six Counties it still militarily occupies. It has not provided required basic human, judicial, economic and civil rights, nor established an effective, non-sectarian policing service.

The British Government’s duty is to implement the Agreement it signed five years ago with the Irish Government and the political parties in the north of Ireland; confirmed in a democratic vote by the people of Ireland north and south; and fairly brokered by the United States of America.

The GFA established a POLITICAL process to replace decades of prejudice, repression, militarism and violence. These elections, already postponed twice, cannot be used by the British government or unionist politicians to silence the will of the people.

Signed on behalf of “Unity in Action Committee”:

James Gallagher

President, Irish Unity Conference

Ned McGinley

President, Ancient Order of Hibernians

Paul Doris

Chairman, Irish Northern Aid Committee

Joseph Jamison

President, Irish-American Labor Coalition

Frank Durkan

Chairman, Americans for a New Irish Agenda

Patrick Doherty

Brehan Law Society

Gerry Coleman

Political Education Director,

Irish Northern Aid Committtee

Brendan Moore

National Board, Ancient Order of Hibernians

Stephen M McCabe

Irish Parades Emergency Committee

President, Brehan Law Society of Nassau County

Kevin Barry

National Treasurer, Irish American Unity Conference

Ed Lynch

Lawyers’ Alliance for Justice in Ireland

Mary Boresz Pike, Esq.

Brehon Law Society,

Irish American Labor Coalition

Gerald P. Lally Esq.

Political Action Chair, Irish American Unity Conference

Julie Coleman

Political Education Department, Irish Northern Aid Committee

John T. Fitzgerald

Children of Ireland Group, Irish Education Foundation