Party leader rejects Mallon warning of sectarian, polarised ' Balkanised' society if Sinn Féin and DUP win
Gerry Adams has predicted that the DUP would work with Sinn Féin because it has already conceded the power-sharing principles of the Belfast Agreement.
Mr Adams also characterised as a "rant" a statement earlier this week by former SDLP deputy leader Séamus Mallon which warned that Sinn Féin and the DUP dominating politics would lead to a sectarian, polarised "Balkanised" society.
"Our party is about harmony and neighbourliness on the basis of equality," Mr Adams said. He was launching the Sinn Féin election manifesto at the Hilton Hotel in Belfast yesterday.
Asked why there was still no justice for the McCartney family over the murder of Robert McCartney, Mr Adams said that question should be asked of the PSNI.
He said Sinn Féin had faced up to dealing with the issue and continued to support the McCartney family. Mr Adams and other Sinn Féin candidates were met by a small protest outside the Hilton Hotel led by academic and human rights activist Liam Kennedy.
Mr Kennedy is an independent candidate in Mr Adams's West Belfast constituency and is campaigning primarily against so-called punishment attacks.
On DUP-Sinn Féin power-sharing, Mr Adams said the only question that remained to be answered was how long it would take the Rev Ian Paisley and his party to enter into a Northern Executive with Sinn Féin.
"We were very successful in moving the DUP to embrace the fundamentals of the Good Friday agreement last December," the Sinn Féin president said. "We know that towards the end they lost their nerve; we didn't. We think the way to sober up the DUP is to face them up with their responsibilities, and we go at that with a good heart."
Mr Adams said he often heard DUP politicians such as Dr Paisley and Peter Robinson saying it had kept all its political promises, but it had not delivered on its pledge to "smash Sinn Féin".
"Will they do business after [ the election]? They have conceded that principle. What we are now talking about is the timing of that. It will not be easy - don't get me wrong, I am not naïve about the DUP," he added.
"But do the DUP work with us [ on Belfast City Council]? They do. Did they work with us on the agriculture committee [ of the Assembly]? They did.
"Did they work with us on other committees in the Assembly? They did. Do they have discussions with us in the TV studios? They do. Did they move to the Good Friday agreement principles in December? They did. Will they do it in the time ahead? Yes, they will."
Mr Adams said there were some "nay-sayers" who were cynical about his initiative asking the IRA to fully embrace peace and democracy.
"The vast bulk of people know that this is a genuine effort to break the downward spiral, to stop the peace process going backwards instead of forward . . . I have received no criticism of the initiative on the doorstep."
The main points of the Sinn Féin manifesto are:
Seeking an endorsement of Mr Adams's call on the IRA to embrace peace and democracy;
Demilitarisation;
A ban on plastic bullets;
To urge a Government Green Paper on Irish unity;
Northern Westminster MPs to be automatically accorded Dáil membership with consultative and speaking rights;
Voting rights for Northern Ireland people in Irish Presidential election;
The repeal of anti-terror legislation;
A full inquiry into murder of Pat Finucane.
Sinn Féin is running candidates in all 18 Westminster constituencies.