The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's cross-community party

 David Ford

Alderdice welcomes meeting between the Speaker and Sinn Fein

12.00.00am GMT Thu 4th Dec 1997

The Alliance Leader Lord Alderdice has welcomed today's meeting between the Speaker of the House of Commons and Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness.

John Alderdice said:

We are living through a period of significant and hopefully positive change inthe politics of these islands and it may be that both Sinn Fein and Parliament are finding it difficult to know how to deal with these changes.

On one hand Provisional Sinn Fein, which have had so much given to it in recent times, is finding it hard to understand that they must conform to democracy as well as making demands of it. They have two representatives in a Parliament of almost two thousand and yet are demanding special privileges for themselves. The incessant demands for special attention for Sinn Fein are also evident in other areas.

At the same time Parliament is not finding it easy to deal with Sinn Fein representatives who instead of boycotting, want to participate, and the speaker is placed in a very awkward position by the speed of these changes. I trust that more progress and more positive developments on all sideswill lead to a resolution of this problem and a deepening and strengthening of democracy and the involvement of all sections of the community.

ENDS

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Previous news story: McBride statement on framework document (Thu 16th Mar 1995).
Next news story: Hope and optimism must be mixed with realism - Alderdice (Fri 5th Dec 1997).

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