Sir, - Congratulations to John Robb (May 30th) for his statement that "the democratic right to self-determination cannot be used to justify majoritarianism". This call for pluralist democracy in Northern Ireland cannot be made loudly enough or often enough The entire history of the North consists of one long zero-sum struggle between unionism and nationalism - a struggle which served only to prove that neither side could be defeated. It also, of course, proved the converse: that neither side could gain outright victory.
Is the compromise solution of autonomous joint authority not a reasonable "no losers" compromise? Could not an autonomous Northern Ireland - with a written constitution, a supreme court and a bill of rights to protect minorities - which was nominally part of both the Republic and the UK, be tolerated by all?
With ceasefires in the offing and moves towards devolution in Scotland and Wales, now is the time to ponder ways to break the stalemate that constitutes Northern politics. Pluralist democracy is a good place to start. - Yours, etc.,
University of East Anglia,
Norwich,
England.