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Sinn Féin Party Chairperson Declan Kearney addresses the 2010 Ard Fheis on the Unity section
Published: 7 March, 2010
Partition was built on two pillars - systematic inequality and denial of national democracy.
Both represent unfinished business for Sinn Fein.
The MacBride Principles campaign internationalized economic inequality in the North during the 1980's.
That campaign became the touchstone for our peace strategy and presaged the GFA negotiations.
The GFA, St Andrew's and now the H.C.A are an immutable framework to secure full equality.
Each represents a continuum of political change - they signpost the roadmap that makes Irish unity inevitable.
But more needs to be done.
Our political strength and strategy is key to ensuring these agreements accelerate the transition to a united Ireland.
Make no mistake about it Sinn Fein is the only united Ireland show in town - because there is no alternative to this party's strategy, from either constitutional nationalists or the militarists.
A confused SDLP went from being post-nationalist to embracing verbal republicanism. They elect past/present leaders who prioritise the taking of seats in an English parliament over political positions in Ireland.
And all with a straight face!
A disinterested Fianna Fail in government has consistently failed to take legislative initiatives to promote a United Ireland, or develop any campaign as a political party.
And the armed factions on the edge of republicanism continue to carry out acts of futile violence.
They are bereft of political vision or strategy. Their militarist and vigilante activities have now become ends in themselves.
These factions serve one purpose only and that is to remilitarize the north.
Remember IRA Volunteers fought an armed struggle to remove British soldiers from the 6 counties - the actins of these people are designed to bring them back.
That needs to be called for what it is - a securocrat agenda, and it is anathema to any republican who is serious about Irish Unity. So there is a question to be put to these factions.
Who is pulling your strings? Do you even know?
It is ironic that on the one hand, while constitutional nationalists continue to acquiesce to partition and denial of national democracy and on the other the militarist factions seek to remilitarize the north and play into the hands of securocrats.
But none of that is acceptable to us.
To sum up - Sinn Fein strategy does what it says on the tin.
The best place to organise for Irish Unity is in Sinn Fein.
The H.C.A. is the product of republican strategy that works.
It is not a settlement - but it does provide a sneak preview of how the redundancy notice will look like for British rule in Ireland.
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