2005/11 and 2005/12, The Sovereign Nation (November/December, 2005)

              32 county sovereignty movement the republican voice november-december 2005 the 32csm launch irish democracy a framework marian price and francie mackey handing in a document at provisional sf offices on falls rd - copies were also submitted to leinster house the british government and other political parties the 32 county sovereignty movement formally launched their political initiative irish democracy a framework for unity on november 7th in the europa hotel outside drogheda in co meath this is a policy to achieve irish unification by challeng ing all the political traditions in ireland to reject bla tantly undemocratic political practices it is also a strategy to hold those political participants to account and to contrast their political positions and their political actions irish democracy is a series of submissions to the british government the dublin government unionism and irish constitutional nationalism the central theme of this initiative is the right of the irish people to a truly democratic ireland not the undemocratic poli tics of partition and the good friday agreement as a definition of our objective irish democracy states that the objective of the 32csm the republican separatist objective is the restoration of irish sovereignty by the immediate end to the british violation of it we seek a sovereign irish democracy for the irish people our objective is the realisation of the declaration of independence our objective is the objective of wolfe tone robert emmett fintan lalor charles kickham padraig pearse liam lynch sean mccaughey sean south and of francis hughes our objective is the historical objective of irish republican ism the political strategy of irish democracy is conflict resolution through democracy it seeks engage ment with political opponents regarding issues of sov ereignty national self-determination and true democra cy in ireland in its submission to the british government the 32 csm asks how an occupying power not democrati cally accountable to any section of the irish people can defend its position with particular reference to interna tional law we also ask them to spell out their long-term objectives with regard to ireland as clearly british inten tions in ireland are of significant concern for irish poli tics the british government cannot hide behind the assertion that they are politically neutral whilst hold ing a sovereign claim to irish territory it is also for the british to explain how it is democratic practice to retain a sovereign claim while insisting that the other claimant rescind theirs this is obviously not a neutral stance irish democracy also asks of the irish gov ernment that they act in the interests of the irish peo ple it states that a government calling itself the irish government has a duty to defend irish rights and inter ests the 32csm asks they henceforth should support our challenge to the united nations regarding britains claim to their national territory - as the un is the recog nised forum for solving international disputes the irish government along with the british government must accept their role in securing unity rather than fudging the issue when bertie ahem states that the constitutional issue is settled what does he mean exactly is the north to remain in british hands permanently the challenge to the unionist community is to address its needs within an irish democratic settlement it states that the hallmark of the relationship between unionists and the british government is one of profound and perennial mistrust it invites unionism to build sta ble and democratic institutions with their fellow irish people rather than unstable institutions with a govern ment and system that they do not trust and does not trust them unionism is an irish political tradition not a british one the future of the unionist people is in ireland as leaders of constitutional nationalism in the north provisional sinn fein are challenged to view the solution from an irish perspective rather than viewing the solution as necessitating any british involvement the difference between republicanism and nationalism is not the difference in its methods to achieve the same ends but rather that republicans reject that britain has any rights in ireland this is some thing that the good friday agreement does not recog nise how does accepting preconditions imposed by an occupying power represent defending the republican position in initiating the irish democracy process we remain committed to our republican objectives and hold that real debate and rigorous examination of all political positions in ireland regarding democracy is the only way forward the previous political initiatives and general political behaviour practised in ireland has failed the irish people hence it is up to the people to come forth and change irish politics themselves irish democracy - a framework for unity see centre pages glor na poblachta