As we go to Irish general election are not out. Charles Haughey's Fianna Fail has been falling steadily despite entering the election campaign wit a massive lead. Both the have been attempting to minimise the impact of Sinn Fein's campaign in the 26 county elections. The elections have come only three months after the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis took its historic decision to alter its electoral policy and take up seats to which it was elected in the southern parliament. The short time scale means that Sinn Fein has not been mount a full scale campaign in this general election. As Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein president, had repeated. ly pointed out the real test for Sinn Fein will be the next elections in the south. But the party has still produced a full manifesto and is standing 27 candidates 24 multi-member southern parliament. We are printing here, to indicate the scope of Sinn Fein's campaign first the introduction to their manifesto and second Adams statement at the press conference printed in An Phoblacht/Republican News summarising the first two week's of Sinn Fein's campaign.
SINN Fein offers the social economic policies outlined in this manifesto as being sensible short-term steps needed alleviate the grave situafacing the people of the 26 Counties.
At the same time, we firmly believe that neither this state nor the Sixtheir Yust economic and their economic social potential separately.
This is quite obvious in the Not the Six which has a totally dependent colony. incapable economic unit. However, constituting viable the impact of partition is not always so clearly seen in ine zo counnes wilere, on the surface at least, we Have self-governing economic entiBut the partition has had a major effect, particularly Tue border counties which, cut off hinterland, have suffered Then of the laboration with smuggling.
fects this artificial 26-County domestic policy picocuco the South.
Banks, commajor retail largely British links.
British dustrial which dominated by multinaEurope.
This makes the establishand a strong maintain status quo ture of to assert inof the 26-County identified the wider the USA For 50 years, nothin press the result of the southern British and Irish pres able to for the Gerry ties. Over the past years, the resistance the republican people been the change. Talli the by Britain in aliciol stabilise situation, of until only mains Gains would British, have tried to resistance campaign. Their willingness extradite the Northern they £350 position the point border tain pays.
Their supIgnores Cause more inuation day of DUL real able to their nation.
parties over 60 the democratic principle of 1916 social economic sor They 1008 Sinn Fein campaigns in action empty promises and offers no easy solu tions. We stand on our record as the only pally which has consistently asserted and worked the right of the Irish people to national reunification and freedom.
Sinn Fein calls for: • A declaration of British intent to withdraw from • Self-determination for the people. • AN amnesty for all prisoners Ireland and abroad.
cross-border collaboraLUll.
Sinn Fein regards
withee sovereds Ireland not merely as an aspiration. the realisatior of which can be delayed inmeasure vital to the immeasure mediate and future social, economic development of the Irish people.
All of the main parties in the state declare thai they want to united reland. that BECAUSE this election has been, to a large degree, a media election, and because it has been dominated by the shallow politics of peronality, the real issues hav been obscured Since the Sle i am aren began, been written off by many observers and the potential of our support has been seriously underestimated have said on a number of occasions that our first major • LCOL will be the after this However, very widespread tour of most of the constituencies being contested bv us. I have beer surprised at the degree of distlusionment being expressed by many supporters of the other parties and the warmth goodwill shown towards Sinn Fein People are sick and tired of the failed politics of the establishment parties and at the dishonest and superficial efforts of other party leaders distance themselves from respon sibility for the mess this country is in and in particular for une Ted difficulties facing the citizens Neither FitzGerald, O'Malley individually ide a conflict is national this which organised the goal total Irish inIrish The 8,000 soldiers proof the determinaBritish violence guarantees the of the Sixwnere a tional to selfand use privileges.
Sinn Fein's campaign solution these difpart of it.
icauers or une 01g parties have one thing common they do not identify with these problems. could they? They are only interested in personal powel, and ine mask their intentions with heavily-subsidised political propaganda and stage-managed media canvassers of carefully-selected areas. And they even believe their own propaganda and follow C Garret seeds Pose. and injustice, republicans in the Six Counties have been forced take UD armed struggle. Sinn Fein defends that struggle in the samne way inal we atrenc the achievement of an earlier generation which fought the British to a standstill during the Tan WaT. The armed struggle in the Six Counties today is the latest phase in the Wa of Independence, a war forced on the Irish people British goverument to the the refusal cede Irish freedom peacefully.
should be remembered that the curTERI phase armed resistance to British rule Matter a cam. paign for Civil Rights had been literally beaten oit the streets of the Six Counties after series loyalist pogroms had destroyed nationalist homes and ives and atte it became clear that British LOOD. had been sell THREE thousand Yorkshire miners the Selby coalfield have staged a weekto pit The five 'super pits' the Selby coalfield Wistow Ricall, Wood for a day • IC payments challenging go the out against, promptly did!
Striker Duke, Wood, that 'the of sion discontent that's There been the Every in Sammy I nompson linked proNUM vice-president Th president's position is the retirement of Mick McGahey to the tish general the NEC associated ad-
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CAREY TUNNEY