Upcoming Events

National | Politics / Elections

no events match your query!

New Events

National

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

Anti-Empire

offsite link The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire

offsite link In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire

offsite link UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović

offsite link US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire

offsite link Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović

Anti-Empire >>

The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.  We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below). 

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en

offsite link Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en

offsite link Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en

offsite link Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Former Sinn Fein Councillor Standing as Independent Republican - Stormont Assembly Elections

category national | politics / elections | news report author Friday February 09, 2007 14:02author by Republican Socialist Report this post to the editors

Former Sinn Fein Councillor Running in South Down

South Down an opportunity to reject British Policing in Ireland and a mandate to build an Irish republican alternative to the present political direction.

South Down republican Martin Cunningham has announced his intention to stand
as an Independent Republican candidate for South Down in the forthcoming
Stormont elections. Declaring that his intention is to offer the people of
South Down an opportunity to reject British Policing in Ireland he has
committed himself to using whatever mandate he receives to build a
republican alternative to confront issues like British policing in Ireland
from a republican perspective.

Rejecting outright both the legitimacy and suitability of the British
Government to be involved in any aspect of policing in Ireland he is calling
on all republicans to convene a public forum to outline in detail the
republican alternative to the present political direction. ‘ The recently
confirmed revelations concerning the depth of British criminality in Ireland
automatically disbars the British Government as an acceptable agency for any
aspect of policing whether you wish to call it Civic Policing or any other
bland title’.

Mr. Cunningham has stated that the acceptance of British policing by
Provisional Sinn Fein calls into question the merit and true intent of this
so called ‘peace strategy’ and has called on all republicans who are
supporters of the GFA to carefully reconsider that position. Stating that
the obligations inherent for the signatories of the GFA are becoming more
apparent now he refutes the notion that PSF has strategically chosen to
endorse the PSNI but that it was obliged to so under the conditions it has
signed up for.

Mr Cunningham has declared his intention to stand as an abstentionist
candidate not just from the Stormont Assembly but also from the political process
which brought it about. ‘Stormont is the product of a failed politics.
Republicans need to reorientate the debate away from secret deals with the
British government and back into the control of the republican and
nationalist people’.

Martin Cunningham will also use this opportunity to highlight the continued
denial of political status for republican prisoners in Maghaberry and to
call for support for the immediate restoration of political status and an
end to the harsh condition they are forced to endure for their refusal to
accept criminalisation.

author by Patrick Henrypublication date Tue Feb 20, 2007 18:41author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I see that $inn Fein sent Mc Cartney and Kelly to the policing conference to prove that they're serious in their commitment to copper fastening partition. Surely now Paisley should see that they pose no threat to his Britishness.

Ogra should soon be getting the order to volunteer for the Crown forces.

author by Big Bertpublication date Mon Feb 19, 2007 19:28author address author phone Report this post to the editors

It says a lot about Provisional Sinn Fein's Republican credentials when they now have the families of dead volunteers and Hunger Strikers opposing them.

author by Who?publication date Sun Feb 18, 2007 20:21author address author phone Report this post to the editors

You're only wasting your time Barry, The apologists for SF on this blog have been driven into hiding days ago. Their arguments in support of the 'leadership's' strategy of giving all the sweets to the bully to curry his favour are so full of holes that the least politically aware amongst us would find no problem in tearing them to shreds. When that happens they disappear. A bit like the SF canvassers coming round the doors ask an awkward question like "Just what is the SF strategy for achieving a United Ireland from the halls of a Unionist parliament?" and they disappear.
I would just like to ask Bog one question. Why are we challenging SF if you don't think we can do them much damage? Of course we can, we don't have to win seats to damage their vote, but if we can ensure we bring a halt to their electoral gravy train for now then we have a chance to remove their mandate for betrayal in the future. Believe me the Shinners are worried and if we encourage rather than discourage then we will eventually win maybe not this time but in the future. This, hopefully is only the beginning.

author by Barry - 32 csmpublication date Sun Feb 18, 2007 14:07author address author phone Report this post to the editors

""- why don't you try living in the present instead of the past.""

yes , the present reality as opposed to a rehash of 1970s sunningdale , or even just plain old fashioned Redmondism

""Or should that read: have realised that they now have a chance to bring peace and prosperity to our country by engaging in a legal and democratic government ""

The partition of Ireland and the violation of Irish national sovereignty is a crime against this nation. It is illegal under a string of UN charters and articles of international law . The unionist veto is not democratic by any means , its a device by which the unionists can insulate themselves from any notion of a national democracy on this island .

""where they will be able to do more for honest Republicans in the next 10 years than they would by refusing to engage into the bigger picture and take the governing of Northern Ireland out of the hands of the British and the Unionists, who up until now have had the majority of political clout - hah...not for much longer.""

Please catch a grip . The British will most definitely continue to run the show here without any fear of being contradicted by any tiny insignificant outift sitting in Stormont , unionist or constitutional nationalist .

""Or maybe honest Catholics were tired of being told they couldn’t go to the police otherwise they’d face the wrath of RIRA/INLA scumbags who use the past actions of the RUC/PSNI as a stick to beat others down with so they can exercise their hidden agenda ""

You seem to be implying the majority of Catholics are dishonest . There has never been any difficulty within the nationalist population about using the police in an emergency for crimes such as rape , murder, robbery etc , much the same as one has to use the state to get a driving licence , make an insurance claim , divorce etc . People simply hate and distrust the PSNI because of who they are , British police .

"" Maybe SF have listened to decent, hardworking people who would rather put the past behind them and move on. If we expect people to forgive us for the past actions of the IRA and move forward then we can’t turn round when the shoes on the other foot and deny them the same right, no matter how bitter a pill it is to swallow.""

wise up . PSF have negotiated themselves into an agreement with the British governemnt they cant get out of . Thats why they are joining the British police and no other reason .

""Or should that read: Sinn Fein have the balls to swallow their pride and act like grown ups.""

Nope . PSF have gotten themselves into a mess they cannot get out of without dumping their leadership who got them into this mess in the first place . But do carry on trying to spin it in another way .

"" Let Paisley and his cronies huff and puff and spout their crap. So what? If it means a better future for Republicans and an eventual democratic reunification of our island than what the hell. Let them crow. They won’t be so cocky in 5 years when Nationalists and Republicans have the majority in a legal government and they’re forced to tow the line. You see Who, some people are actually mature enough to brush off such childishness and move on instead of letting their pride get in the way and storming off in a huff to consider what to do or say to get back at the opposition. ""

Amazing stuff . Putting manners on them I presume . A nice little tinge of sectarian fantasisng about ordering prods about the place for the kiddies to conjure with . Grow up

""Utter bullshit. You can’t see past the end of your hatred. If you did then you would have realised that the conflict got us so far and now its up to politics to get is the rest of the way. People here have tasted peace and prosperity and now it’s the norm do you really think we could go back to the way things were done in the past (as in the RIRA and INLA)? Yeah that will really help with the progression of the Republican/Nationalist people and with the reunification process.""

There is no re-unification process . Stop telling lies . You arent even allowed to discuss the possibility of a united Ireland in the future in Leinster House under government standing orders . Pleas for White papers and green papers on unity have been dismissed by the free state as red herrings . Theyve made it clear on numerous occasions the constitutional issue is settled and thats it . Partition has been accepted by the provos as legitimate and conceivably legitimately permanent . No mechanism has been identified within the GFA (now defunct and replaced with St Andrews) to put a united Ireland in place . No such mechanism or even a future united Ireland can be talked about in Leisnter House .Stop deluding yourself and and attempting to delude others with absolute fairy tales.

""Yep. And more importantly we owe our children a future…..something which you seem too caught up in the past to realise. Honour those who got us to this point in our political evolution but don’t make the mistake of living in the past and thinking that what got us this far will continue to help us make gains. It won’t.""
We got nowhere , we got nothing , we got completely shafted. We havent evolved in the slightest unless you believe the Alliance party is the most progressive political force this island has ever seen .. Our political leadership class has degenerated to base Redmondism and Gerry Fittism . Its a catastrophic defeat , politically , militarily , ideologically . British rule has been secured beyond their wildest dreams .

""Let our children's laughter be our revenge""

that is a meaningless statement , it means avbsolutely nothing and is just tacked on superficial bollocks . I suppose its meant to mean in some weird provo semantic that Bobby Sands died for stormont and the right to join the new RUC

Fair play to Martin Cunningham and the rest of the independent candidates . The republican separatist constituency at long last is beginning to crystallise and co alesce throughout the north . The fightback starts here .

And fuck the PSNI too .

author by Bogpublication date Sat Feb 17, 2007 20:49author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I opposed the SF stance on policing and support Peggy's campaign. But noone is seriously suggesting or believes that SF are in a panic over anti policing candidates. They are not. Regardless of what we think, SF will not lose too many votes to any of the anti police candidates and will make it up fromother sources, new voters, sdlp etc as well as receiving a lot of transfers back from the anti police candidates. We are fooling ourselves if we think that we are gonna damage sf in any serious manner. We will also disillusion many of our supporters if we build up peoples hopes unrealistically.

author by Mc Cpublication date Sat Feb 17, 2007 20:08author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Word has it that SF are in a right panic about the anti-policing candidates, especially in Derry where the popular Peggy O' Hara, mother of Patsy, is standing.
It is looking extremely likely that she will do exceptionally well against the dour SF threesome who don't seem popular choices even among the PSF grassroots there.

author by Big Bertpublication date Sat Feb 17, 2007 14:29author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The feedback from many areas is that the Provos are being rebuffed at the doors by the vast majority of ex-prisoners and the families of fallen Volunteers. Their only hope is the middle class vote taken from the SDLP, but even in that camp they seem to have learnt from their past mistakes and now appear capable of winning back ground lost to the Provos.

If Provo Sinn Fein get a hammering in this election then hopefully it'll bring a halt to their cockiness and they'll realise that it was we the Republican people who put them where they are and that we'll no longer stand for a 'Strategy' that centers round pandering to Paisley's demands and humiliations.

author by mournemanpublication date Sun Feb 11, 2007 20:44author address author phone Report this post to the editors

they deliver, decomissioning IRA arms for the BRITS!
they deliver, Stormont which we wanted to stay decomissioned!
they deliver,YOU to the RUC, the COURTS and to BRITISH JAILS!
Oh! they deliver big time all right!!!

author by Who?publication date Sun Feb 11, 2007 17:57author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Here we go again, all over the country we have Gerry Adams smiling down at us from lamp posts with the slogan, We Deliver.
The fact is SF couldn't deliver groceries without getting lost, they've done more U-turns than a so called joy rider in Ballymurphy over the years they don't know whether they're coming or going.

author by Patrick Henrypublication date Sun Feb 11, 2007 16:59author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I accept Captian Sternn that the Gardai are corrupt to the core and protected by the State as are all Police forces the world over, but if you think that the PSNI are now held accountable then you only have to look at the outcome of Naula O' Loone's inquiry. Where is the accountability when we are told that Branch men and high ranking RUC officers who conspired with mass murderers will not so much as be reprimanded for their actions?
When has a Police officer been made accountable for anything since the inception of the Ombudsman's office? The fact is, it is a white elephant and the Police are no more accountable here than in the South.
$inn Fein and the SDLP can argue all they want that the police Ombudsman was a concession won by them but it was a worthless present in expensive wrapping paper.

author by Captain Sternnpublication date Sat Feb 10, 2007 20:56author address author phone Report this post to the editors

So we accept policing in the north. Think about it. First, how do you feel about the gards? I mean, seriously, can they be any worse? At least now when they break the rules we can complain, legitimately, on a world stage, and force them to change their ways.

At the end of the day, the 'new' northern police force can't be any worse than the gards we are forced to deal with now.

author by Who?publication date Sat Feb 10, 2007 16:40author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Kev Lar I do live in the present but some of us learn from the past. The excuses for surrender have been the same whether it be Collins, De Valera, the Sticks or presently Adams, the old stepping stones to an Irish Republic crap. The fact is that the SF didn't suddenly see the need to have a Police force even though that Police remains the same sectarian band of murderers it always was, they were forced to support it and still that's not enough for Paisley.
The most amazing comment to come from apologists like yourself is 'when we have the majority....Blah, blah.... Sure SF couldn't even get the London prefix taken from the name of Derry even though the vast majority of Derry people want it that way. If they can't deliver on a small scale how can they deliver on a far greater scale? SF have been trying since 1994 to get into Stormont and still can't into that bastion of Unionism. Can you tell me how they expect to lead us into a united Ireland if they eventually get to serve under Paisley in Stormont?

The fact is Kev those gaining the most from all this are the leadership who seem to be acquiring homes in Spain, Portugal and Donegal. Where did they get the money?

I have never advocated a return to war but what sickens me is SF shameless pandering for acceptability in London and Washington and their desire to better themselves alone.

author by Kev Larpublication date Fri Feb 09, 2007 16:58author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Who - why don't you try living in the present instead of the past.

“who haven't been poisoned by the lure of political careers or monetary gain”
Or should that read: have realised that they now have a chance to bring peace and prosperity to our country by engaging in a legal and democratic government where they will be able to do more for honest Republicans in the next 10 years than they would by refusing to engage into the bigger picture and take the governing of Northern Ireland out of the hands of the British and the Unionists, who up until now have had the majority of political clout - hah...not for much longer.

“I agree that SF have been forced by Paisley and the Brits to support the PSNI/ RUC and the British judicial system.”
Or maybe honest Catholics were tired of being told they couldn’t go to the police otherwise they’d face the wrath of RIRA/INLA scumbags who use the past actions of the RUC/PSNI as a stick to beat others down with so they can exercise their hidden agenda – power and control over their own sordid little empires. Maybe SF have listened to decent, hardworking people who would rather put the past behind them and move on. If we expect people to forgive us for the past actions of the IRA and move forward then we can’t turn round when the shoes on the other foot and deny them the same right, no matter how bitter a pill it is to swallow.

“Only last night Paisley was on TV gloating how he smashed Republicans, however he could never have done this were it not for the weak and power hungry leadership of SF”
Or should that read: Sinn Fein have the balls to swallow their pride and act like grown ups. Let Paisley and his cronies huff and puff and spout their crap. So what? If it means a better future for Republicans and an eventual democratic reunification of our island than what the hell. Let them crow. They won’t be so cocky in 5 years when Nationalists and Republicans have the majority in a legal government and they’re forced to tow the line. You see Who, some people are actually mature enough to brush off such childishness and move on instead of letting their pride get in the way and storming off in a huff to consider what to do or say to get back at the opposition.

“Adams has stated that he is not the enemy but he has joined them and will solidify their presence here.”
Utter bullshit. You can’t see past the end of your hatred. If you did then you would have realised that the conflict got us so far and now its up to politics to get is the rest of the way. People here have tasted peace and prosperity and now it’s the norm do you really think we could go back to the way things were done in the past (as in the RIRA and INLA)? Yeah that will really help with the progression of the Republican/Nationalist people and with the reunification process.

“Let us unite and stick together, we owe it to our fallen comrades”
Yep. And more importantly we owe our children a future…..something which you seem too caught up in the past to realise. Honour those who got us to this point in our political evolution but don’t make the mistake of living in the past and thinking that what got us this far will continue to help us make gains. It won’t.

Let our children's laughter be our revenge

author by mournemanpublication date Fri Feb 09, 2007 16:02author address author phone Report this post to the editors

good to see that we will have a choice in south down to vote for a Republican who is highlighting the Prisoner issue and is against British Policing in Ireland. Good luck Martin

author by Who?publication date Fri Feb 09, 2007 15:42author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I wish Martin Cunningham well as I do all other true Republican candidates who haven't been poisoned by the lure of political careers or monetary gain. I agree that SF have been forced by Paisley and the Brits to support the PSNI/ RUC and the British judicial system.
Only last night Paisley was on TV gloating how he smashed Republicans, however he could never have done this were it not for the weak and power hungry leadership of SF
Adams has stated that he is not the enemy but he has joined them and will solidify their presence here.
Let us unite and stick together, we owe it to our fallen comrades.

Number of comments per page
  
 
© 2001-2024 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy