It is time for Sinn Féin to "wake up" and play its part in resolving the present political difficulties, SDLP deputy leader Brid Rodgers said yesterday (Wednesday).
Mrs Rodgers was responding to remarks by Sinn Féin's Mitchel McLaughlin about the reasons for the current impasse.
Mr McLaughlin said it was a cop out when SDLP leader Mark Durkan attempted to score political points by pointing to alleged republican activities as the reason for a lack of trust. But Mrs Rodgers hit back, saying that Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams had himself admitted that allegations of IRA activities had undermined trust.
She said the reality was that the alleged activities of republicans, whether it was continued punishment beatings and shootings or allegations of spying or break-ins, had undermined confidence in the political process.
Mrs Rodgers said Mr Durkan had accurately reflected the frustration that these events have caused for both unionists and nationalists.
"The SDLP has consistently underlined the fact that unionist ambivalence to the political institutions has caused a crisis of confidence. And we have not chosen to ignore the fact that allegations of republican activity have had a similar effect, particularly on unionists," she said.
"This is a basic reality that Mitchel McLaughlin cannot ignore. He cannot, on the one hand, purport to speak for nationalists and yet, on the other hand, arrogantly ignore and dismiss their concerns about allegations of paramilitary activity."
The SDLP had stated time and time again, Mrs Rodgers said, that the only way to resolve the confidence issue was for parties to come together to agree a very clear set of understandings and undertakings in relation to the joint declaration.
Mrs Rodgers said it was disappointing to see Sinn Féin attack the SDLP at every turn.
"Instead of pro-agreement parties coming together to resolve confidence issues, Sinn Féin and other parties seem content to continue to play the blame game and ignore the wishes of the people," she said.
"People throughout this island want the agreement implemented, they want the institutions back up and running and they want their political representatives to show some backbone and get down to the business of listening to and representing their concerns.
"It is time for Sinn Féin to wake up and listen to what people are saying."
