Labour criticises Republican 'duplicity'

Former Labour Party leader Mr Ruairi Quinn has said democratic parties both North and South have been betrayed by the duplicity…

Former Labour Party leader Mr Ruairi Quinn has said democratic parties both North and South have been betrayed by the duplicity of the Republican movement.

Speaking at the SDLP's annual conference in Derry last night, Mr Quinn said that in a Dail debate this week, all democratic parties were united in calling for Sinn Fein to ditch the IRA for good and become like every other party.

"In the course of that debate Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said that all democratic parties have ceded support in order to assist Sinn Fein," he said.

"In particular, the SDLP, the Labour Party and Fianna Fail have lost some of our traditional support to Sinn Fein.

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"The SDLP knew what they were doing when John Hume made approaches to Gerry Adams, as did Dick Spring when he dedicated time and energy to the early stages of the peace process.

"Fianna Fail, too, have sacrificed some support in an effort to remove violence from Irish politics.

"Well, enough is enough. The democratic parties that have facilitated the emergence of Sinn Fein as a representative force have been betrayed by the duplicity of the Republican movement."

Mr Quinn was commenting after the publication this week by the Independent Monitoring Commission which claimed the IRA was responsible for four robberies including December's Stg£26.5 million Northern Bank heist in Belfast. The report also claimed senior Sinn Fein members in leadership positions in the IRA sanctioned the crimes.

Mr Quinn said recent events had made him question Sinn Fein's attachment to the Good Friday Agreement.

"I believe their main preoccupation is in their own electoral growth on both sides of the border rather than working towards the full implementation of the Agreement," he said.

"That is why, for the sake of the Good Friday Agreement, the upcoming Westminster elections must be used as an opportunity for the public to re-state their faith in those parties who have continually lived up to the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement, rather than used it as a launch pad for selfish political gain."

PA