Republicans must address the issue of policing if they want to advance their political objective of achieving a united Ireland grounded in equality, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said today.
In his first engagement since Sinn Féin began an internal debate on whether it should pledge its support to the PSNI, the west Belfast MP told a republican commemoration in Co Fermanagh that the strategy his party was pursuing was risky.
He urged republicans to address the issue of policing with their long-term objectives in mind.
"Be sure of this, getting our strategy right on this is inevitably bound up with how we move forward beyond partition to the Republic," he told the commemoration for two IRA members killed 50 years ago during a raid on a police barracks in Brookebrough.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams
"Despite major advances in recent years, Sinn Féin does not yet command sufficient political strength to realise our primary and ultimate aims.
"We do well to remember that struggles cannot be won without the support of people, and a huge battle for hearts and minds is still to be waged, to mobilise greater levels of popular support behind Republican aims and objectives.
"There are no short cuts to independence and a new Ireland. Republican strategy today is about building political strength, popularising republican ideas and mobilising, organising and strategising how we achieve a free, united Ireland."
Mr Adams succeeded last Friday in persuading his party's ardcomhairle in Dublin to call a special ardfheis later this month to debate their policy on policing in both sides of the border.
Mr Adams signalled that provided the Irish and British governments and the Democratic Unionists responded positively, a motion would be put to the conference urging delegates to support the PSNI and the Garda. Delegates would also be asked to endorse Sinn Féin representatives taking their seats on the Northern Ireland Policing Board and District Policing Partnerships.
The Sinn Féin move towards endorsing the PSNI, which is seen as being an essential ingredient for the setting up of a power-sharing executive at Stormont this March, came after the British government put forward proposals that would see a new Policing and Justice Ministry established by May 2008. Under the plan, a senior and a junior justice minister would be appointed after securing support in the Assembly on a cross-community vote.
Mr Adams said today that his party's strategic focus during negotiations had been to break the grip of unionists, the Northern Ireland Office and British officials on political policing. "The party leadership believes this represents a sustainable basis to deliver a new beginning to policing in the context of our strategic objectives, the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and moving the struggle closer to our primary aim of Irish Independence, self-determination and sovereignty," he said. "This strategic initiative presents a massive challenge for republicans but like all republican initiatives, it is risky. "The Brookebrough raid was risky. Struggle of any kind is risky. We should remember that those who want to maximise change must be prepared to take the greatest risk."