Sinn Fein Advances Enhances Process Neither Trimble's Stonewalling nor Paisley's Rejectionism Can Change Reality

Capitol Hill. November 28, 2003

Irish-Americans see the dramatic increase in the Sinn Fein vote in the Northern Ireland election as a 
victory for the Irish peace-process." This huge mandate for Sinn Fein guarantees that there will be no going back. It cements the peace-process in a very powerful way. Now all the Unionists -- and their paramilitaries -- must face the reality that Catholics are never again "going to the back of the 
bus", said Father Sean Mc Manus, president of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus.

Father Mc Manus continued : " The problem in Northern Ireland has always been about equality. The State was created for a two-fold reason : (1) to guarantee a continuation of British rule; and (2) to guarantee Unionist/Protestant supremacy. Now that the London Government's interest is no longer served by holding on to Northern Ireland, the Protestants feel cheated and want to hold on to their supremacy . But that is now no more tenable than it was for the Whites in the Deep South of the United States to hold on to segregation and the Jim Crowe laws, once the African-American 
Movement forced the Federal Government to give up its racist ways".

"The Unionists of all persuasions and their paramilitaries must accept the new reality, which neither Trimble's stonewalling nor Paisley's rejectionism can alter. Unionism must accept and embrace the concept of equality with Catholics. Once that is done, it will be clear to them that the Good Friday Agreement is the only way forward, and in their own best interest", Father Mc Manus concluded.