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Michael
Adams sets sights on Irish seat

By John Murray Brown
Published: November 14 2010 20:01 | Last updated: November 14 2010 20:01
Gerry Adams, the Sinn Féin president, is to seek election to the Irish
parliament.

He said on Sunday that he hoped to gain his party’s nomination for the
Louth constituency. If successful, he would stand down as an MP at
Westminster, where he represents West Belfast, and also give up his
position as a member of the Northern Ireland assembly at Stormont.

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Mr Adams is hoping to harness popular anger at the economic crisis in
the Irish Republic to relaunch his party’s faltering fortunes there.

“As leader of Sinn Féin, I want to be part of the necessary fightback
against bad economic policies in both parts of this island and for a
fair, decent, and united society for all the people of Ireland,” he
said on Irish radio

He said Sinn Féin would provide “a real alternative to the consensus
for cuts being pushed by the other parties”.

Appointing a candidate from Northern Ireland to stand in the Irish
Republic marks a big shift in strategy by Sinn Féin.

Fighting the UK budget cuts is difficult, given that the party is in
coalition government – with Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness holding the
position of deputy first minister of Northern Ireland. But the party
believes that it can exploit the popular anger with mainstream parties
to make an electoral breakthrough in the Irish Republic, where it
holds only four of the 166 seats.

The decision follows the party’s successful court challenge forcing
the Fianna Fáil-Green coalition to call the long-delayed Donegal South
West by-election, where Mr Adams was canvassing this weekend before
polling on November 25.

Although an Irish general election does not have to be called until
May 2012, the coalition’s position is precarious, and relies on two
independents and three Fianna Fáil backbenchers who have lost the
party whip for its narrow three-seat majority. This has led to
speculation that the government will be forced to call an election
early in the new year.

It is by no means certain that Mr Adams will win one of the four seats
in the Louth constituency.

However, he has a large national profile. The 62-year-old, who for
more than two decades was the face of militant republicans opposed to
the British presence in Ireland, is still widely credited with
persuading the IRA to give up its armed campaign and pursue its
objective through political means.

Before his announcement on Sunday, there was speculation that he might
put his name forward for the Irish presidency – with elections due
next year.