Sir, - As a Northerner, working and living in Dublin, I have followed the fall-out from the political tribunals and been shocked by the weekly revelations. The damage to our democracy is incalculable.
Having witnessed how paramilitaries and other forces tried to corrupt politics in the North through murder, violence and intimidation over 30 years, it is of some comfort to realise that they did not succeed, mainly because of the efforts of a committed group of people with personal and moral courage, pre-eminently John Hume and Seamus Mallon.
In our darkest days, their belief in the primacy of political and democratic means provided a living example of the necessity of such an approach. As Drapier stated in this paper in November 1999, "Without John Hume, the vision of a pluralist Northern Ireland would not have been articulated and taken root; without Seamus Mallon the spirit of decency and democracy might have been quenched."
Today the South desperately needs leaders with principles, honesty and integrity who will courageously promote an Ireland that is open, transparent and outward-looking. I believe it is now time John Hume, Seamus Mallon and the SDLP set up as a political party in the 26 counties. Are there others out there who recognise the unique contribution this party could make to politics on the island as a whole? - Yours, etc.,
Catherine Ghent, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.