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By Kelly Candaele
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Credit:
Adrian Dennis/AFP
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On a Los Angeles radio talk show in November, John Hume, Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the Northern Irish Social Democratic and Labour Party, refused to countenance any negativity. When the host wanted to pursue potential difficulties that may arise out of the deal to set up a new government, Hume begged off and stuck to his "we will build a new Northern Ireland" script. There is good reason to be hopeful.
The new agreement in Northern Ireland establishes a novel form of government. Northern Ireland could become a "bi-national" state, whereby citizens who occupy the same territory but identify with divergent political aspirations can assert political, economic and cultural power within a framework of equality. The finely structured deal is partly designed to reconcile the minority Catholic community to a Northern Irish government that historically has been a bastion of unionism.
Under the new framework, all major decisions will take place by a process of "parallel consent," whereby majorities in the assembly from each political community must reach agreement before "key decisions" become law. Gone is the ability of the unionist community to unilaterally dominate the political process. Conversely, if nationalists later become the majority, the same rules would protect a unionist minority.
Kelly Candaele has written about Northern Ireland for several national publications. He lives in Los Angeles.
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In These Times ©
1999
Volume 24, Number 3 |