Allister blasts Belfast Agreement in Brussels
09 April 2008
Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister today carried his continuing opposition to the Belfast Agreement to the floor of the European Parliament. On the eve of its 10th anniversary the Ulster Euro MP used an adjournment debate to denounce the Good Friday deal as destructive of both justice and democracy in the Province.
In the course of his remarks Mr Allister said:-
"Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement.
Some find much to celebrate. I do not. Why? Because it was the Belfast Agreement which rewarded 30 years of terrorism in Northern Ireland by undermining both justice and democracy.
Justice, by granting an early release amnesty to all duly convicted terrorist prisoners and democracy, by prescribing that unrepentant terrorists must be in the government of the region they had ravaged with terrorism. This is achieved by the inequity of mandatory coalition.
The region which I represent is the only region in all of the EU where citizens are denied the fundamental democratic right to vote a party out of office. Why, because the Belfast Agreement by law stipulates all parties must be in government, if there is to be a government. That is the Belfast Agreement and that is wrong. It is something to be denounced, not celebrated, to be thwarted, not operated."
