Sir, - Gerry Adams's article (Opinion, June 28th) misses the crucial reason the political process in Northern Ireland is at such a dangerous juncture.
He fails to explain why republicanism is unable to keep its promises.
In May last year the parties again moved to establish the institutions when the IRA promised to put their weapons completely and verifiably beyond use.
That promise has not been kept. This is not the first time republicanism has broken its promises.
We moved in November 1999 to set up the institutions in advance of IRA decommissioning. We had been encouraged to do so by Republican leaders who claimed we would be amazed at the response. Gerry Adams said, "Jump together." We did, and he did nothing. That is why the institutions were suspended in February 2000.
Today Sinn FΘin is well into its second year in government and still there is no sign of that movement which would transform the situation.
The moment of truth has now arrived. The Republican movement must send a clear signal that it is committed to democratic politics. Only action on decommissioning will solve our problems.
To occupy ministerial positions in the Executive requires not just sufficient votes but an unequivocal break with political violence and terrorism.
Ulster Unionism has demonstrated its willingness to work along side Sinn FΘin ministers, but not in a situation in which those who support the democratic parties are second-class citizens - second-class because they support parties which have no private army to back up their mandate.
The community in Northern Ireland deserves something better than an uneasy armed peace. It is entitled to ask why Sinn Fin endorsed an agreement that contained commitments to disarm completely if the Republican movement had no intention of seeing those commitments honoured.
July 1st is the third anniversary of the first meeting of the Assembly. Sinn FΘin has had plenty of opportunity to prove its good faith. It is now the time for society to make a choice. Either we think an uneasy armed peace with a latent threat of violence is good for the people of Northern Ireland, or we do not. The Ulster Unionist Assembly Party does not. - Yours, etc.,
Fred Cobain MLA (Ulster Unionist Member of the Assembly for North Belfast), Stormont, Belfast 4.