Hyland quits Sinn Féin
A Sinn Féin Assemblyman quit today amid heightening tensions inside the party over policing.
The decision by Davy Hyland to become an independent left the leadership facing a potential challenge in Newry and Armagh, and possibly Mid Ulster.
With party president Gerry Adams accused of attempting to stifle criticism of the move towards endorsing the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), disillusioned republicans claimed they were being threatened to stay silent.
Mr Hyland said: “I leave secure in the knowledge that I remain true to my republican principles.”
His resignation is a blow to Sinn Féin attempts to present a unified front ahead of its monumental shift in policy.
He is now the fourth member of its Assembly team who will not go forward for re-election to the new parliament on March 7.
The Business Committee at Stormont was informed today of his decision, which leaves the party as the third-largest group with 23 MLAs.
More worrying for the leadership is the growing opposition to its strategy to embrace the new policing arrangements in the North at an historic conference in Dublin later this month.
Mr Hyland, who was deselected just before Christmas, said he had reluctantly concluded there was no longer a place for him in Sinn Féin.
He claimed there was a limited timeframe for the public to have its say on policing.
“There’s been some discussion within Sinn Féin, but I don‘t think the wider community, the people who actually elect Sinn Féin representatives, I don’t think they have been consulted enough,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.
Mr Hyland added: “When I joined it (Sinn Féin) in 1981 it certainly was a very democratic party.
“Perhaps as time goes on maybe power becomes too centralised and individuals are given too much power.”
His announcement followed growing dissension on the policing plans.
In a joint letter published today, John Kelly, a former MLA, and Brendan “The Dark” Hughes, a one-time close confidant of Mr Adams and leader of the first hunger strike inside the Maze Prison, hit out at alleged Sinn Féin intimidation of republicans speaking out against the new direction.
Denying claims by party leaders that they were being targeted by dissident factions, the pair said: “In our view there are threats being made.
“But they are coming from Sinn Féin and directed against republicans who seek a wider debate on the policing issue.
“A number of people have been warned by Sinn Féin that they must not attend independent meetings organised by republicans around the policing issue.”
Their letter in today’s Irish News added: “It is the possibility of republicans fed up with Sinn Féin lies and deceit deciding to mount an electoral challenge that sends shudders of anxiety through the leadership circles.”
The pair’s claims were backed up by another ex-IRA prisoner who left over the decision to sign up to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Belfast-based critic Anthony McIntyre claimed Sinn Féin warned people against attending a policing debate in the west of the city late last year.
“They were trying to intimidate members of their own party from going,” he claimed.
“Sinn Féin are desperately trying to ensure the debate (on policing) doesn’t take place, despite giving the impression that they are interested in debate.
“In effect they are a totalitarian party.”
A Sinn Féin spokesman rejected the allegations, describing them as absolute nonsense.
“A number of Sinn Féin members have attended these meetings.”
He added that party representatives were on the panel at two of the forums, including one in south Derry, which Mr Kelly, who left Sinn Féin in 2003 claiming it was a control dictatorship, did not attend.
“How can they say Sinn Féin is boycotting these meetings and issuing threats?”
News of Mr Hyland’s resignation emerged as the party’s Assembly team met at Stormont to discuss its negotiations on policing.
He was deselected along with Armagh woman Pat O’Rawe last month.
However, the party’s ruling executive has yet to approve the result of that selection convention and is understood to be considering reinstating Ms O’Rawe as a candidate.
The party also announced North Belfast MLA Kathy Stanton and Mid Ulster Assemblywoman Geraldine Dougan, both first-time members of the Stormont parliament like Mr Hyland, would not be going forward for personal reasons.
Ms Stanton denied the decision had anything to do with policing, but Ms Dougan has publicly voiced concerns about Sinn Féin supporting the PSNI.
