POLITICAL LEADERS had a duty to take part in a joint initiative with others to help bring sectarianism to an end, Martin McGuinness has said.
Speaking outside the church grounds following the burial of Kevin McDaid, the Deputy First Minister said he was disappointed that local political leaders were failing to provide leadership.
Without naming any elected representative specifically, Mr McGuinness said that for him the peace process was about making difficult decisions and making difficult statements. “In Coleraine we are seeing a deficit of leadership. We need to see people in important positions of responsibility aligning themselves with everyone in the community, identifying the problems that everyone faces, whether it be social deprivation, anti-social activity, sectarianism, indeed rampant sectarianism and they need to rise to the challenge.”
Such a leadership deficit, he added, was leading to “death in the streets”. Unionist representatives had wider responsibilities and not just to the section of the electorate that votes for them.
“They have responsibilities to everyone in this town and as we have seen with this terrible murder, that represents a real challenge to all elected politicians in this town,” he said.
There is always the danger that politicians can “whip up emotions” and, through their “outrageous statements”, they can “wind people up”. He called for a “serious, governmental and joined-up initiative” in Coleraine to tackle sectarianism. Mr McGuinness applauded the decision of Protestant clergy to turn up in numbers at the Requiem Mass, but contrasted it with the attitude of some unionists who still felt unable to speak directly to him.
“That is part of the problem. Until they become part of the solution, I believe that these problems will continue.” He said he was prepared to work with all leaders, including those diametrically opposed to Sinn Féin, to ensure the people of Coleraine can live peacefully in the town. “I think the vast majority of people in Coleraine are ashamed that this happened.”
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said: “We need a determined, united community and political stand to eradicate sectarianism in all its forms in all parts of the North.”
Assembly colleague John Dallat said: ‘Why are we still living in a society where illegal organisations such as the UDA and UVF still exist and still enjoy the ear of governments?” No senior elected unionists attended the funeral.