Sinn Fein leads the struggle for Irish freedom and to end the forced division of the country by British imperialism. The party doubled to four its seats in the British House of Commons and made gains in local council elections held the same day. Its overall share of the vote more than doubled, for the first time placing it ahead of the pro-imperialist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), which also appeals for votes from the oppressed Catholic minority in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein celebrated the defeat of a referendum in the Irish Republic on the Nice Treaty. The vote was on whether or not to incorporate into the Irish constitution the provisions of the December 2000 accord signed by leaders of the European Union (EU).

Sinn Fein had vigorously campaigned for a "no" vote as part of a Peace and Neutrality Alliance along with the Green Party, National Platform, and others. Adams congratulated Sinn Fein members who were the only ones to take "the debate to doorsteps the length and breadth of the state." The front-page headline of the June 14 An Phoblacht, a paper that supports Sinn Fein, read, "Three mandates for change: 4 MPs; 108 Councillors; No to Nice."

The rejection of the treaty by a 54 percent margin came as a surprise to the major EU powers and threw a wrench into their plans. It was a blow to the Dublin government and the ruling Fianna Fáil party that had urged support for the measure. The highest percentage of votes against were recorded in working-class areas, especially in the capital of Dublin. The Financial Times warned that Nice is a "wake-up call to [Fianna Fáil ] organizers that unless they start to answer the concerns raised they may lose votes to Sinn Fein."

Prior to the vote Adams issued an appeal to cast a "no" ballot because the treaty "paves the way for the creation of a new superpower, an EU Superstate with its own army dominated by the largest countries." In the new EU structure outlined in the treaty, "larger states like Germany, France, Italy, and Britain automatically treble their votes in making EU laws from 2005 while small states like Ireland only double theirs," Adams said. This "is not about [EU] enlargement. It is about further centralizing the EU, placing greater power in the hands of the larger states and allowing them to create a two-tier EU."

Adams condemned plans for the EU to field a 60,000-strong Rapid Reaction Force, which "is an army designed for war, an army to impose by force the interests of the EU or an elite within it" not only "within the EU or on its borders but up to 2,500 miles outside the EU." The statement said the military force "is not some kind of Red Cross."

Welcoming the outcome of the vote, Adams called for the Nice Treaty to be renegotiated and urged Dublin to "accept that there is concern about Irish neutrality; concern about sovereignty within Europe; and a very real concern about the development of a two-tier Europe."

Speaking June 12 in the Irish Dáil, or parliament in Dublin, Sinn Fein leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said there "is a growing sense of anger and disbelief among people that their will as expressed on June 7 is being flagrantly violated by this government and the other EU governments." He cited the EU foreign minister's statement that despite the Irish rejection, "the ratification process will continue on the basis of this text and in accordance with the agreed timetable." French president Jacques Chirac called the outcome in Ireland a "difficulty" that would have to be "overcome," Ó Caoláin said.

"These arrogant pledges to proceed with Nice regardless of the fact that the Irish referendum has refused to ratify it confirms everything that we in the No campaign have said about the antidemocratic nature of the drive to an EU superstate," the Sinn Fein leader said.  
 
Crisis among unionist forces
In Northern Ireland the blow to London's rule in the elections was compounded by a deepening of the crisis and division among "unionist" forces--those who support continued British rule.

Of the 18 parliamentary seats Sinn Fein took two from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), which has been for decades a principal mainstay of British rule. The capture from the UUP of the seat in Fermanagh South Tyrone by Sinn Fein candidate Michelle Gildernew, 31, was one with a historical importance. Twenty years ago Bobby Sands, the leader of the hunger strike demanding special status for political prisoners in Long Kesh prison, was elected to parliament in the district. The hunger strike in which Sands and nine others died became a spur to deepening mobilizations, and growing political activity and self-confidence among nationalists, paving the way for the series of successes in elections by Sinn Fein in recent years.

Sinn Fein vice president Pat Doherty won West Tyrone, for the first time beating the SDLP's Bríd Rodgers, who is Minister of Agriculture in the devolved Northern Ireland Executive. Rodgers had received backing from the British big-business press in the vain hope that she would block Sinn Fein's advance. An Phoblacht reported that as "part of their negative campaigning, the SDLP had adopted a reference by the British media which labeled West Tyrone as their 'Stalingrad.' It was to come back to haunt them."

Meanwhile Sinn Fein chief negotiator and Minister of Education Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams retained their seats, gaining a larger percentage of the vote over the last election.

Overall Sinn Fein increased its share of the vote in Northern Ireland from 15 percent in 1997 to 20.7 percent, overtaking the SDLP. In the local council elections Sinn Fein won fewer seats than the SDLP but increased its seat total by 34 to 108, becoming the biggest party in six councils in the western part of Northern Ireland. It was returned for the second time as the party with the most seats in the Belfast City Council, leading Sinn Fein to nominate Alex Maskey as its candidate for mayor. His election was blocked however, and a unionist was elected mayor.

The UUP lost one-third of its MPs and 31 council seats. UUP leader and Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble saw his majority cut substantially.

The rightist Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Ian Paisley meanwhile gained two parliamentary seats, increasing its vote share nearly 7 percent and its seats on councils by 40. The DUP has fiercely opposed the April 1998 Good Friday Agreement negotiated by the British and Irish governments and the main political parties in Northern Ireland, including the UUP. The agreement, which was a reflection of the growing self-confidence of nationalists and the failure of nearly three decades of British military occupation to defeat their resistance, led to the establishment of an elected assembly and executive on which Sinn Fein sits.

On June 18 both Sinn Fein and UUP leaders met Blair separately for talks about the future of the Good Friday Agreement. UUP leader Trimble has threatened to resign as Northern Ireland First Minister on July 1 unless the Irish Republican Army (IRA) begins unilaterally surrendering weapons. The IRA, which waged a military campaign against British occupation, is currently maintaining a cease-fire. Sinn Fein president Adams said any so-called "decommissioning" of weapons by July 1 was unlikely.

After what was described as a stormy meeting with Blair, Adams accused London of failing to "seize the nettle" over the disbanding of the colonial police force in Northern Ireland or the dismantling of British Army security posts. DUP leader Paisley meanwhile has accused Trimble of making concessions to the IRA.

In another development, London has sent 1,600 additional soldiers to bolster the occupying forces in Northern Ireland, reportedly for the forthcoming "marching season" when right-wing pro-British loyalist organizations stage dozens of triumphalist marches throughout Northern Ireland.

These "parades" are frequently accompanied by violent attacks on Catholics. Such attacks accelerated during the election campaign. In north Belfast, near the nationalist Ardoyne area, children from Catholic families were prevented from attending a local school June 20–21 by loyalist thugs amid clashes between loyalists and the police.
 
 
Related article:
Behind Labour Party's victory in UK election  
 
 
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