Local Government Elections THE ISSUE!

This summer's jeca) government elections in both the North and the South are of findlimental imputtanee ta the whole ant imperiist movement und to the Lrish pesple as a whele.s The ¢lections, in May and June, will nol just be about boonl issues. Instead they will be the first opportunity on an All-tretand evel for the Trish people to give a Clear response to Thatcher's ‘Out! OGwif Oeil" policy, to the blatcnt collaboration of the. Forum repocl and Angle-Lrish- toiks ancto the joint policy of the Brits, Unionist aod Nationalist partics jo attack Sinn Fein and roll back aor political rights.

But are elections simply glorified spinion polls? This is the view af the capitalist parties and media cummentaiors. and what they mein by “The verdict of the hallo bos’, [ct ts true that a massive vote for andti-imperialist candidates will make the British pause - but already their reaction to Sinn Pein victories. shoes that when an election result docsn’t suit them then Whey wall ose the legal system andl thee state te call buck Lhe cfeot of elevtoral gui. Sinn Pein's policy of “the arma: ite and Ballot Box’ attempts te sitike a balance between cleciorm work and the wulitary campalgT This hos fed to nomber of pinot jon. br tends to accept the clecioraliat view thal cleciens. are simply opinion polis and dors not directly link them with o strategy if defeating imperialism although snay local wed genomecity strug les led by Sinn Fein raise these | apestions, A discussion has been going an about the tole ai the armed struggle, especially of punishinent shestings. ‘but the concept of a “long wor — but withert any real statement about how dt will be won.

Peoples Demmcracy does mat heticwe that the Irish revolution will take place through gradnal electoral advance, We beleve that force will be. necessary simply because the. British -and their capitalist allies will use maximum force to netwin puever. Bui we also bebewe that the mojor weapent in our hands ts: the mass united struggle of working pooples Lit is-thia coneepe of mass. struggke which offers a. way ul uniting all the struggles and which puts clectorn] campalens in their proper place — as ways bo On@anise mass slrugele, oe, The H Block Armagh campaige was 8 dramatic exareple of this.

The election camprian oon and south wen massive: support fer the anti-imperialist cause. ln the south sind: then we have: seen Leinster House aod ERC elections © and in the nerth Assembly, Westminsice and FRC elections. In these elections Sinn Fein: has.

consiliduged tis position. bert as enited miss wethen has dechined an abso the pro-cupitalist and preimperialis Parties have bern ow thee is 1 nese Briitsh utter sive, int the words af Secretary of Shite Hurd, the main plank of their policy in ‘a robust security peice a polite descripoon of the shoott-kill policy. This is te be linked to a political offensive ating! Sinn Fein anda denial of political fights to anti-imperialtals The Matladialiat parties have expressed ‘ooncern” abowt the shost-to-kill policy. Bot. at the sme tinke they hare carted out political atkacks an Sint Peis in the south and the S1LP has openly hacked the British political hove aeifered police repressh. the road Docks, rlet pear, pallsiyear's antl-Interoment domo stration In Relies weet beck to Britain with « clear ideo of who the real terrorlnis are. They saw broiml wasauli demonstration amd the munter of a young man, John Downes.¥lany would oot have been learned.

They now know ‘that ‘Tronops Oot’ fe not a ebogen that shookd be Lindied to small groups on thee left boi fa ome that the whole Brltiah lsboor movement most imke af their onh.

The tremendous international solidarity ghven to the moleers struggle hes oot beeo in vain.

Their w ¢ hos taught workers in Lreland lessons they mighi otherwise have pald oo high price io beam. Trish worker who face attacks on thelr Jobe sbauld realise thal they too peed mo new offensive in the: north, Tits is against the hackeround of the Forum reper and their abaredetmental calls far a Wetted Ireland.

Up te now nationalist parties bave been able to confuse the issue atid restrict critidsm from their own supporters. Sinn Fein spokespersons have suggestecl that there mught be grounds for an electoral prrangement — expecially with the SOLE to taximise the effect of the aoati-uniamist vote in the sorth.

We believe that this is a mistaken strategy. The fact that pabtics like the SDLP and Fisona Fai are willing to endorse attacks on Sinn Feln's political cights is a central point which must be brought to the aitention of thase supporters who still defend the coneept of a United, Remoctactic Ireland A united campaign wn the strects wml byitself put presure on thet Ecitish onal thelr allies, It would be able to organise during the eleeibons and eet the tone of the electural debate, If could also provide a basis for an anti-imporialist electeral pact which could begin to pot forward. a detailedand realistic alternative to the Forum Report — to raise the baneer of lide pendence: father than callaboration. of ecanomic freedem rither- than slavery oto. the multinationals and of interdatonal solidarity with anti-anperialist and ant-capitolist strugeles rather than the paw of MATO.