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Gerry Adams wins Northern Ireland vote
Associated Press ^ | 03/07/06

Posted on 03/08/2007 2:16:22 PM PST by presidio9

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams was re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as Sinn Fein appeared on course to remain the major Catholic-backed party in the British territory, according to results Thursday.

Adams, 58, topped the voting in his longtime power base of Catholic west Belfast. He was among the first declared winners for the 108-member assembly following Wednesday's election to find out which Protestant and Catholic parties will control the assembly and hold the key to revived power-sharing in the territory.

Sinn Fein activists cheered wildly in the major ballot-counting center, the King's Hall conference center in south Belfast, as Adams took the winner's podium. Nearby activists from Protestant parties booed or stood stony-faced.

The vote-counting is likely to take two days before all winners are declared. Northern Ireland's complex system of proportional representation allows voters to pick candidates in order of preference, requiring ballots to be counted several times.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: gerryadams; ira; sinnfein
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

No, he is not a troll. He just has a different viewpoint. The fact is that Northern Ireland has been a mess for ages and neither side has anything to boast about in the morals department.
In fact every Orange Parade kind of proves his point. What do do now and where to go from here is a different topic all together. The Republic of Ireland is touted as an economic powerhouse. Will the relative prosperity possible mitigate the mindless generational hatred on both sides?
It is something to talk about and maybe a teaching moment for those of us in the States if the emotional attacks can be held at bay. I would be interested in the estimate of how the elections shape the political landscape and the prospects of Northern Ireland.
Without the name calling of course.


21 posted on 03/08/2007 2:38:17 PM PST by IrishCatholic (No local communist or socialist party chapter? Join the Democrats, it's the same thing.)
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To: Natchez Hawk

It's not democratic when terrorists are allowed to run in elections.

They have been able to vote in the North for a long time.


22 posted on 03/08/2007 2:38:47 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (Apathy is one of the most dangerous ideologies in existence!)
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To: presidio9

Yup! Getting sick of them!


23 posted on 03/08/2007 2:39:57 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (Apathy is one of the most dangerous ideologies in existence!)
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To: ichabod1

"Sinn Fein activists cheered wildly in the major ballot-counting center, the King's Hall conference center in south Belfast, as Adams took the winner's podium. Nearby activists from Protestant parties booed or stood stony-faced."

Democracy in action, after several centuries.


24 posted on 03/08/2007 2:41:23 PM PST by Stoigo
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

Why in the world would President Bush meet with a terrorist?


25 posted on 03/08/2007 2:42:00 PM PST by trumandogz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVBtPIrEleM)
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To: IrishCatholic
UK is a democracy, IRA are terrorists, end of story.

In fact every Orange Parade kind of proves his point.

Got a problem with the freedom of religion?

Northern Ireland lags the Republic because of terrorist violence.

26 posted on 03/08/2007 2:42:33 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (Apathy is one of the most dangerous ideologies in existence!)
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To: trumandogz
I'm guessing that photo was taken early in the Bush presidency, based on the lack of gray in Bush's head, and Adam's beard.

Bush's Crackdown on Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein

27 posted on 03/08/2007 2:43:41 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: trumandogz
Why in the world would President Bush meet with a terrorist?

Because it's the Selectively-Fought War On Terror.

28 posted on 03/08/2007 2:44:14 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (Apathy is one of the most dangerous ideologies in existence!)
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To: Stoigo
Democracy in action, after several centuries.

A terrorist group getting power isn't democracy, idiot!

29 posted on 03/08/2007 2:45:53 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (Apathy is one of the most dangerous ideologies in existence!)
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To: presidio9

The picture was taken in March of 2001 after Clinton met with Adams and before 9/11.


30 posted on 03/08/2007 2:47:38 PM PST by trumandogz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVBtPIrEleM)
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To: Radix

How anyone can justify British actions in Ireland for more than 500 years is problematic.




It sure is.


31 posted on 03/08/2007 2:49:52 PM PST by countreegurl
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To: Radix
How anyone can justify British actions in Ireland for more than 500 years is problematic.

IRA terrorism is more recent than that...

(This is a conservative website, right?)

32 posted on 03/08/2007 2:51:37 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (Apathy is one of the most dangerous ideologies in existence!)
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To: countreegurl

Call me a Radical, but I like the kind of democracy where people of all faiths are permitted to vote.


33 posted on 03/08/2007 2:52:24 PM PST by trumandogz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVBtPIrEleM)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

"A terrorist group getting power isn't democracy, idiot!"

To Irish_Thatcherite

I'll forgive your rudeness and simply state:

In a democracy, the majority rules. Period.

Like it or not, it's a fact.


34 posted on 03/08/2007 2:53:40 PM PST by Stoigo
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To: trumandogz

That is what I figured. I'm pretty sure that that was the last time he was welcome at the White House, though I am aware of the fact that Bush does speak to him on the phone occasionally.


35 posted on 03/08/2007 2:54:12 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: Stoigo

The IRA is an illegal organisation, Sinn Fein and the IRA are one and the same, therefore Sinn Fein should not be a legal party to begin with.


36 posted on 03/08/2007 2:56:10 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (Apathy is one of the most dangerous ideologies in existence!)
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To: countreegurl

(Adams laying a wreath at the grave of Yasser Arafat)

37 posted on 03/08/2007 2:58:38 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite
As for today, the IRA/SF has given up on the Armalite and the Ballot Box Strategy and in now only working via democratic channels. By following this method SF is charting a middle course without the radicals in the IRA that want to turn all of Ireland into a socialist state.
38 posted on 03/08/2007 3:00:05 PM PST by trumandogz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVBtPIrEleM)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

UK is a democracy, IRA are terrorists, end of story.

Northern Ireland lags the Republic because of terrorist violence.




don't even know where to begin. It was brilliant for the UK to bring these people into the political process...if they hadn't, you would still be seeing lots of blood on the streets. That is a fact. Peace was never going to come about in the north without these people feeling like they had a voice in the process. and I say this as someone who's family members have been shot and killed by both sides. Just took my last trip there, my 13 to date, a few years ago and the change is amazing and wonderful.

As for the roaring economy of the republic, the north doesn't lag because of terrorists acts (ira activity has pretty much stopped), rather the republic has initiated some forward thinking economic polices that has catapulted them ahead of the north.

I get the feeling that you would rather have bloodshed and violence, then give any concession whatsoever, to peace-seeking members of SF.

That's really unfortunate.


39 posted on 03/08/2007 3:00:47 PM PST by countreegurl
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To: trumandogz

Adams is a Castro-loving Commie!


40 posted on 03/08/2007 3:01:03 PM PST by dfwgator (The University of Florida - Championship U)
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