Rabbitte: Sinn Féin OTR U-turn lets Govt off hook
Sinn Féin’s U-turn on the proposed British amnesty for paramilitary fugitives has let the Government off the hook, it was claimed today.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern planned to set up an Eligibility Body to decide whether to grant presidential pardons to on-the-runs (OTRs) wanted by gardaí for alleged offences in the Republic.
But Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said yesterday’s decision by Sinn Féin to suddenly oppose the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill has conveniently allowed the Government to drop its proposals for the constitutional pardons.
“The volte face conducted by Sinn Féin yesterday in deciding to oppose, having hitherto supported, the British legislation has conveniently allowed the Government to announce it is dropping its plan to grant presidential pardons to on-the-runs in this jurisdiction,” he said.
“This decision has conveniently allowed the Government to abandon its own ad-hoc proposals to grant presidential pardons to on -the-runs that was met with strong opposition when initially announced.”
Mr Rabbitte claimed that Sinn Féin had struck a deal with British prime minister Tony Blair to grant an amnesty for the estimated 1,800 unsolved murders of the Troubles for both paramilitaries and members of the security forces.
“Sinn Féin has now baulked at the Bill in the face of opposition from victims groups and political parties North and South and in Britain,” he added.
“They found themselves exposed, supported only by the British authorities with whom they had struck this dirty deal.
The Labour leader reiterated his call on Mr Ahern to persuade Mr Blair to scrap the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill, and insist that any alternative must be acceptable to the North's political parties as well as victims.
“The Labour Party has always recognised that at some stage a line does have to be drawn under the brutality of the past. But it should not come at the expense of victims,” he said.
Sinn Féin vice president Pat Doherty yesterday told Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain that the British legislation was too far removed from an agreement with the Government at Weston Park in 2001 which would have enabled republicans who have been on-the-run since the Troubles, to return home.
The West Tyrone MP said: “We are now calling for it to be rejected and we are withdrawing from anything to do with it.”
Mr Doherty also revealed that Sinn Féin would be advising on-the-run republicans not to seek registration under the legislation should it go through.
Under the legislation, the Government envisaged people who have been living abroad to avoid arrest, or people suspected of murders before the Good Friday Agreement, applying to a certification commissioner to ensure they are not sent to prison if they set foot in the North.
Mr Rabbitte called on all political parties in the Republic to support a motion tabled by the Labour Party and Fine Gael earlier this month that opposed the Government’s proposals on the British legislation.
The motion also called for truth and justice to be returned to the entire process.
