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Political Parties in a Reunited Ireland.
A new
dawn of freedom is on the horizon for a reunited Ireland. Will the
"powers that be", be ready to lead the people post
reunification in a rapidly changing world beset by climate change
and diminishing natural resources?
The main
political parties in the Republic of Ireland, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail
and Sinn Fein trace their roots back to the revolutionary era that
broadly spanned the first quarter of the 20th. century. Since then,
Sinn Fein, the oldest of the parties founded in 1905, has undergone
a number of split and identity crises in search of relevance.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are products of the Treaty War (Civil
War) of 1922 /23. Their stock in trade is characterized by
loyalties and recrimination stemming from real and perceived rights
and wrongs associated with that war. As far as government policy is
concerned, the differences between them is no more than crossing the
‘t’ and dotting the ‘i’.
 The
Northern Ireland state has been dominated by Unionist parties since
its inception in 1920. For most of that time government policies
have been openly anti-Catholic in alignment with British
government-enacted
anti-Catholic laws passed in the nineteenth century. The Northern
state has not proven itself to be a viable political or economic
entity, as it has, from the very beginning, depended on British
subsidies and bailouts for survival.
Since the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, political power
has been shared by the Unionists and Sinn Fein parties, an
arrangement that has brought a modicum of peace to the eviscerated
province but little else. That arrangement is tentative at best,
prone to interruption as is the case at the present time owing to
the Brexit debacle.
Niche parties have been a part of the Irish political scene since
both Irish states came into existence. Going forward, there is no
reason to believe that they will not continue to be so. As the
major parties determine government policy, niche parties’
contributions will play out on the fringes, useful to political
discourse in that they advocate for special or forgotten issues that
need funding, legal protection or official recognition.
Governments on both sides of the divide have failed the people in a
number of ways from day one. They have failed as guarantors for the
"security of person" and, as consequentially, failed to provide a
viable homeland for millions of its people who have been forced into
economic exile. It would seem that their primary concern was for
their own interests and the survival of their cabals. That state of
affairs must not prevail in a reunited Ireland. The potential
inherent in a just, inclusive and modern reunited Ireland must be
given voice to by visionary and honest men and women.
When Ireland is reunited, preferably under the Eire Athaontaithe
model, it will be incumbent on all politicians to adopt to the
challenges and opportunities that reunification presents. The
Treaty/Civil War and its legacy must be left to history alongside
perceived colonial ties and battle cries, the remnants of an
inglorious history. Politicians must organize themselves into
parties focused on the real challenges that impact all people, be
they Protestant, Catholic, dissenter or other. Their mantras must be
“for the common good" and the policies they pursue must also be "for
the common good".
As defined in Wikipedia “A political party is an
organization that coordinates candidates to
compete in a particular country's elections.
It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about
politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or policy goals.”
What then should a political party in a reunited Ireland look like?
The first thing they and their members must do is to cohere around
political policies they believe would benefit the people and the
country as a whole. The policies must be clearly defined, cogent and
presented to members and the general public as a matter of form.
Their organization structure and operating procedures must be
transparent and in accordance with all applicable laws. The names
parties choose should reflect the political philosophy they identify
with rather than a name that denotes class, race, creed or one at
odds with the nation’s cohesion or sovereignty.
Therefore, going forward, political parties and aspiring politicians
must be up to the task at hand, realizing that answers to a more
equitable society and a threatened planet are not to be found in the
past. New approaches will be the order of the day, requiring
explicit knowledge, visionary ideas and leadership qualities of all
those who aspire to lead.
Irish reunification will not only be a new beginning for the Irish
people but an opportunity to regroup and rethink the next step in
the quest for a new era of peace, openness and sustainable growth
and prosperity. The first step would be to require politicians and
political candidates vying for public office to be forthcoming with
constituents regarding their compliance with laws and requirements
applicable to all citizens. Therefore, they should be required to
disclose any and all remuneration-based ties to outside entities and
also be required to provide proof that they have paid their fair
share of taxes. An official statement of compliance would suffice.
Income from legitimate investments would be exempt. Last but not
least, candidates for any government office must, in the first
instance, be able to articulate their ability to pursue policies
beneficial to their constituents and the country as a whole and
demonstrate their ability and willingness to fulfill the duties
commensurate with the office sought.
What the people will be looking for in a reunited Ireland will
include, first and foremost, peace. After that is a menagerie of
quality-of-life issues that need to be addressed, including the lack
of economic equity that continues to spawn poverty, hunger,
homelessness, discrimination, subpar health care and a host of other
societal ills. Other issues that must be prioritized and acted on
are the lack of robust sustainable planning which will continue to
put a drag on adequate housing; aging or lacking infrastructure and
diminishing natural resources. If left to chug along as is, these
issues will have a devastating impact on the country and planet our
descendants inherit.
Although Ireland has changed for the better in number of ways over
this past quarter century, both socially and technologically, still
much more needs to be done to achieve an acceptable level of
economic equity and social order. Reunification will help eliminate
many of the social ills that have been a constant in Irish life for
a hundred years. On the other hand, economic and sustainability
issues will continue to need attention requiring innovative
science-based solutions to achieve and maintain a commons-based
society.
The voting base in Ireland is changing, as manifested in recent
elections in both Irish states. That trend will continue as more
young and first-time voters show up at the polls to vote. As opposed
to older voters, they will not be burdened with the politics of the
past. Instead, they will be focused on career opportunities,
inclusiveness, carbon neutrality and other quality-of-life issues.
For that reason alone, political parties and aspiring politicians
better be ready for a new dawn and a new way of doing business.
TMMTP
Date posted 8/6/2022
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