BOMB ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS URGENT NEED TO IMPLEMENT AGREEMENT
Bomb anniversary 'highlights urgent need to implement agreement'
Mr. Joe Byrne, SDLP Assembly member for West Tyrone, has said that the coming anniversary of the Omagh atrocity should act as a reminder to all political parties of the urgent need to implement the Good Friday Agreement in full.
Mr. Byrne said: "When the Good Friday Agreement was signed last April by all of the main political parties, and overwhelmingly endorsed by the people of Ireland, North and South, in the referenda, everyone believed that incidents such as this were a thing of the past. The Omagh atrocity has demonstrated that we cannot take peace for granted, and that there are loyalist and republican dissidents who are determined to undermine the democratically expressed will of the people of this island for inclusive partnership government representing both sides of our community.
"The courage shown by the families of the victims of this atrocity, and the way both sides of the community have come together in the aftermath of this terrible incident, sends a clear message to the opponents of the Good Friday Agreement that the people of Omagh, and indeed the vast majority of the people in Ireland, totally and absolutely reject the use of violence to achieve political ends.
"Unfortunately, this spirit of reconciliation does not seem to have affected some of our politicians who seem intent on frustrating the wishes of the vast numbers of people from both sides of the community who want to see the democratic institutions contained in the Good Friday Agreement set up as soon as possible", added Mr. Byrne.
He continued: After the Omagh bomb there can be no more ambivalence towards the use of political violence, and the best way permanent peace can be secured in the North of Ireland is for all of the main political parties to live up to their obligations and commit themselves to the full implementation of the Agreement. The review of the Agreement, which is due to take place in September, should be short and focused, and should not be used negatively as means to exclude any party but ought to be approached positively by all the signatory parties to the Agreement as means to ascertain how best the Agreement can be implemented in full".
Mr. Joe Byrne, SDLP Assembly member for West Tyrone, has said that the coming anniversary of the Omagh atrocity should act as a reminder to all political parties of the urgent need to implement the Good Friday Agreement in full.
Mr. Byrne said: "When the Good Friday Agreement was signed last April by all of the main political parties, and overwhelmingly endorsed by the people of Ireland, North and South, in the referenda, everyone believed that incidents such as this were a thing of the past. The Omagh atrocity has demonstrated that we cannot take peace for granted, and that there are loyalist and republican dissidents who are determined to undermine the democratically expressed will of the people of this island for inclusive partnership government representing both sides of our community.
"The courage shown by the families of the victims of this atrocity, and the way both sides of the community have come together in the aftermath of this terrible incident, sends a clear message to the opponents of the Good Friday Agreement that the people of Omagh, and indeed the vast majority of the people in Ireland, totally and absolutely reject the use of violence to achieve political ends.
"Unfortunately, this spirit of reconciliation does not seem to have affected some of our politicians who seem intent on frustrating the wishes of the vast numbers of people from both sides of the community who want to see the democratic institutions contained in the Good Friday Agreement set up as soon as possible", added Mr. Byrne.
He continued: After the Omagh bomb there can be no more ambivalence towards the use of political violence, and the best way permanent peace can be secured in the North of Ireland is for all of the main political parties to live up to their obligations and commit themselves to the full implementation of the Agreement. The review of the Agreement, which is due to take place in September, should be short and focused, and should not be used negatively as means to exclude any party but ought to be approached positively by all the signatory parties to the Agreement as means to ascertain how best the Agreement can be implemented in full".
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0700
Published Date: 12-Aug-99
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