“has been bad year for Charlie Haughey. Many political…”

1981 has been a bad year for Charlie Haughey. Many political commentators In the South are forecasting a general electjon In the near future, Sucha prospect is a cause of great anxiety to thim. Such anxiety to him. Economic forecasters are unanimous in their predictions of an impending economic collapse. Unemployment and price Inflation continue to rise. Charlie's one hope lay in the much publicised Haughey— Thatcher agreement; and tnat has exploded in his face.

The crisis in the H-Blocks and the death of Bobby Sands has proved to be the major stumbling block in his path to reelection, Increasingly, people In the South have been asking, 'Why didn't Haughey stand up to Margaret Thatcher?! There is widespread disillusionment with Haughey!s "Northern policy" among the people in general and increasingly within the ranks of the Fianna Fail party. For the first time in many years, wide sections of the population are demanding that the Irish Government take a tougher line with the British. The politics of the North of Ireland have become a debat— ing point in the workplace, the home and everywhere that people gather. For the first time Fianna Fail's neglect of the minority in the six counties is being openly challenhed. The time has come for this to be taken a step further with an intervention by anti-imperial— ists into the election arena in the South Much has been said of the youth Nationally minded peopie In the South have generally voted for Fianna Fail. While never really a republican party, it was seen by most people as the party that represented Ireland's national aims, as apart from Fine Gael! and Labour who had no record of republicanism or defence of democratic rights. So long as Fianna Fail remains unchallenged on this ground they will continue to hold the allegiance of the majority of Southern working class people, Not only will this continue to be the case but unless challenged they will get away with the treachery they have practiced since first gaining power in 1932, Up until very recently, the attitude of most Fianna Fail voters was that in the long run Haughey would solve the national question to the advantage of the Northern minority and possibly even bring about a © United Ireland. If the H-Blocks and Armagh conveyor belt is to be ended, the illusions of people in the South in Fianna Fail must be challenged once and for all: Fianna Fail and Charlie Haughey stood idly by while Bobby Sands and Francis Hughes have died in the Blocks. Now is the time to put real alternative anti-imperial— ist policies to the Irish people. We must turn the screw on Haughey at the ballot box, This can be done by standing candidates in key areas In the South and launching a massive cam— paign for anti-imperialist policies throughout the 26 counties. tant victory for the second hunger strike campaign. Against all the predictions of the press and TV, despite the unprecedentedly vicious camunionists to vote for Harry West, despite the arrogant protestations of Maggie Thatcher about the impossibility of ted, Bobby Sands victory at the polls was an unmistakable tical status was supported by In those few days after April 9th, when the Tories dropped their attempts to unseat Sands as MP, victory seemed within our grasp.

How is it possible now that Bobby Sands and Francis Hughes are dead? How did it happen that the movement And what does ‘this say about the possibility of saving the lives of the other hunger ‘strikers and winning the 5 demands?

It Is because this must now be our main concern that we have to look carefully at the weak-— nesses of the two campaigns so that mistakes are not repeated and the important less— ons are learnt.

ons 2f the struggle around the 5 demands is what Maggie any government that can withstand the pressure directed at