New govt 'must take lead on sectarianism': McGuinness
The new power-sharing government in the North will need to take a tough stand against racism and sectarianism, Deputy First Minister-in-waiting Martin McGuinness claimed today.
On the eve of the return of devolved government to Stormont, Martin McGuinness said he believed his new power-sharing partner the Rev Ian Paisley was committed to making the new administration work.
He stressed the need for all sides involved in the North's marching disputes to engage in direct dialogue.
The Sinn Féin chief negotiator said: “I’ve always believed the way to dilute sectarianism is by a combination of approaches. The really important one of all is for people of different political persuasions to work together in a positive and constructive fashion.
“I would hope that Ian Paisley and I have begun to show people that it is possible to do that.
“I think all of that will have a very positive effect on people out there in our community who will see that it is possible for political leaders who want to totally and absolutely rid our society of sectarianism and racism.
“I also think that that must be coupled with ensuring that if people are behaving in a racist or sectarian fashion they are effectively brought before the courts.
“I think we need to be strong on all fronts and we need to send out a very strong message to everybody that we are not prepared to tolerate that type of situation within what will hopefully be a whole new society evolving over a period of time.
“It is not going to happen overnight but I think principally by leading from the front and leading by example we can send a powerful message to everybody about how we want this society to shape up.”
Mr McGuinness and Democratic Unionist leader, the Rev Ian Paisley will be sworn in tomorrow at Stormont as the joint heads of the new Stormont government.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will attend the opening session of the devolved Assembly to witness the transfer of power to the new team of unionist and nationalist devolved ministers.
However, one of the first potential problems the new executive could face would be a tense marching season this summer in flashpoint areas like the Ardoyne in north Belfast, Whiterock in the west of the city and Portadown’s Garvaghy Road.
Mr McGuinness said rival sides in marching disputes should draw inspiration from the way the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein struck their deal in March to revive power-sharing.
“It shouldn’t be beyond the collective wit of all of us – and what I mean by all of us is society in general – to try and resolve those matters,” he argued.
“I consistently point to what happened in my hometown of Derry where it was clear there were people within the unionist political parties and republican political parties, in Sinn Féin and the community, who were prepared to roll their sleeves up and get involved in an engagement which resulted in many of the difficult parades there being resolved as a result of dialogue and discussion between those involved.
“Obviously people’s thoughts turn immediately to how do we resolve the Garvaghy Road?
“The only way to sort out the Garvaghy Road is to have a real engagement between the people in the Orange Order and the people of the Garvaghy Road because at the end of the day it is going to be up to the people of the Garvaghy Road who have to live in that area how they are going to deal with that situation.
“Nobody, not me, not anyone else can tell them. They have to, as I believe they are willing to do, see a willingness on behalf of the Orange Order that they are prepared to treat them with the respect they deserve and sit down and have a meaningful discussion and dialogue with them.
“Look at the events here the weekend of March 24-26. Once the discussion and dialogue began between the DUP and Sinn Féin, we moved very rapidly over a two day period to make agreements and it manifested itself in this building, to the surprise of loads of people, in the images we saw the following Monday morning.
“Face-to-face talks made that happen.”
Having served as Education Minister in the last executive, Mr McGuinness said he was relishing returning to devolved government and admitted to feeling deeply frustrated by the collapse of power-sharing in 2002.
The experience of preparing for power-sharing with the Rev Ian Paisley over the past six weeks has been encouraging, he said.
“I said on a number of occasions in the run-up to the election that whenever Ian Paisley agreed to go into the institutions that it was certainly not my view that he was going in to walk out or do what David Trimble did – be fixated about the UUP in the way David Trimble was fixated about the DUP.
“I was of the view he was going in to make it work. You can only judge people on the experience that you have had. Certainly from the experience we have had in the period from March 26 through to today everybody is entering on this journey in a spirit of being positive and constructive and wanting everything to work. I think that is very encouraging.
“My experience of the last few weeks is that people are embarking on this with a view that, yes there will be problems but it is our job to cohesively try and sort these problems out.
“I think the events of the last couple of weeks have been a revelation to people, because the difference now is that Ian Paisley is involved.
“Ian Paisley has shown leadership. Ian Paisley has taken courageous decisions in terms of moving into these institutions and in my opinion has shown good leadership.
“We all have to do that. We all have to work hard at this new and better opportunity to move forward and provide a better future for the people we represent.
“There are lots of difficult issues out there. I am not the sort of person who shirks a challenge and I also think Ian Paisley isn’t the sort of person who shirks a challenge. Our job now is to deliver.”
