September 30, 2003 32 County Sovereignty Movement (pt. 1)
The following statement is issued by Francis Mackey, Chairman of the national executive of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement

Contact: Joe Dillon
Phone: 018492264

Irish National Sovereignty Cannot Be Diluted
(Letter Embargoed until 26th September 03)

The cause of violence on the island of Ireland is over the issue of sovereignty. The issue of Irish national sovereignty keeps coming to the fore more frequently in recent times as pressure continues for clarity on what it is the parties agreed in the Good Friday Agreement.

The most recent attempt to frustrate and add confusion on the issue comes from Mr Denis Bradley, vice chairman of the Policing Board. He states the voice of the people is sovereign and I readily agree with him.

By this analysis Mr Bradley accepts the legitimacy of 1916 and the Declaration of Independence of 1919.

How then does he state the legitimacy of the GFA? What has happened in between 1919 and 1998 that the GFA makes illegal both 1916 and the will of the Irish people in the Declaration of Independence 1919.

Is Mr Bradley unaware that a challenge to the legitimacy of the referendum is lodged at the United Nations prior to it taking place and the claim that the GFA is a sovereign decision does not stand up in international law?

If the 1919 position is legitimate as a sovereign decision the British government have no legal rights in Ireland and their referendum was illegal.

Who then, does not accept the sovereign decision of the Irish people?

Provisional Sinn Fein are on record as signatories to the agreement as stating the referendum held north and south does not constitute national self determination.

Therefore, the GFA and all that goes with it, is fundamentally flawed and those who have signed in to it have usurped Irish national sovereignty.

I would also highlight, contrary to statements from political leaders, the GFA does not constitute joint sovereignty or joint authority. The Dublin government are on record as stating that they are only the honest broker.

2.

We in the 32 County Sovereignty Movement having lodged our challenge as a peaceful alternative prior to the GFA, stand at this moment as the only organisation challenging the legitimacy of British rule in Ireland.

Having done so we were and continue to be vilified just as the leaders of 1916 were for standing by our principles and upholding the rights of the Irish people.

It is worth noting that this peaceful route was blocked with visa denials and our organisation banned in America. This is not the action of governments seeking a peaceful path to success.

The issue of national sovereignty remains unabated and I challenge Denis Bradley on his analysis and I further challenge the Sinn Fein leadership, the SDLP and the Dublin government to fully explain publicly their respective positions given the contradictions that are apparent in their statements.

All of them have used the term sovereignty to argue a flawed analysis. None of them have to date are willing to challenge our analysis, therefore I call on them to enter into public debate with us on this matter.

The parties allied to the British inspired GFA have an obligation to be truthful to the Irish people.

Irish national sovereignty cannot be diluted to suit a particular argument. It has been established and can only be changed by the Irish people acting free from outside interference and free from British guns pointing us with the threat of war if we don’t agree with their terms and conditions.