A chara, - For years now, the Irish and British governments have been lecturing Sinn FΘin on the realisation of political objectives through parliamentary democracy. We are now beginning to see what these governments understood by democracy in this context.
The Irish Government meant that when Sinn FΘin argued an alternative analysis during a constitutional amendment debate, one which was accepted by the greater number of the Irish people, there would just have to be further referendums until the desired result was achieved. The British government meant that when the parliamentary procedures mandated by an overwhelming majority of the people, fail to elect as First Minister the candidate favoured by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, there would just have to be suspensions, reviews, re-designations and whatever other manipulations of the system that are necessary to achieve the desired result in case elections do not.
It is difficult then to see from where these governments derive the authority to lecture anyone on democracy. - Is mise,
John Hamill, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.