Tom Ekin: We have had plenty of time to realise that the present form of compulsory coalition at Stormont is a failure

Surely decades after the euphoria of the cessation of the murderous previous decades we should have woken up to the fact that the Good Friday arrangements would have to be changed to make them properly workable.
By Tom Ekin
Published 7th Jul 2020, 13:12 BST
Updated 7th Jul 2020, 13:15 BST
(left to right) Sinn Fein leaders Mary Lou McDonald, Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill alongside other senior members of the party and other mourners standing in close proximity at the funeral of the IRA leader Bobby Storey in west Belfast. Tom Ekin writes: "They breach the common sense Covid advice about protecting lives" PA(left to right) Sinn Fein leaders Mary Lou McDonald, Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill alongside other senior members of the party and other mourners standing in close proximity at the funeral of the IRA leader Bobby Storey in west Belfast. Tom Ekin writes: "They breach the common sense Covid advice about protecting lives" PA
(left to right) Sinn Fein leaders Mary Lou McDonald, Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill alongside other senior members of the party and other mourners standing in close proximity at the funeral of the IRA leader Bobby Storey in west Belfast. Tom Ekin writes: "They breach the common sense Covid advice about protecting lives" PA

Surely decades after the euphoria of the cessation of the murderous previous decades we should have woken up to the fact that the Good Friday arrangements would have to be changed to make them properly workable.

The mutual vetoes of DUP and Sinn Fein were only acceptable to many people in order to get the two extremes to stop mutual antagonism.

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We have seen the incompetence and insincerity of Sinn Fein.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Martin McGuiness stopped the Eleven Plus tests but had no solution to the education as a last act when leaving the Department of Education, he left no plan when he effectively pulled down the assembly.

Sinn Fein continue to want to memorialise people who have made no positive contribution to our society, by naming various streets and function areas after them.

They breach the common sense advice about protecting the lives of innocent people by refusing to abide by the best Covid 19 medical advice, and they keep talking about the idea of a united Ireland by a majority vote of 50% +1 vote.

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We could rhyme off other incompetences and insincerities. The DUP is hardly blameless but is not as blatant as Sinn Fein.

We have had plenty of time to realise that the present form of compulsory coalition is a failure, that much of our politics is based on failure and should be changed.

Before the next election we should look at our reasons for voting for the status quo and ask ourselves if that is what we want for the next generation.

It is time to figure out how we change the strangulating system and then do it.

Tom Ekin, Belfast BT9

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Related topics:Sinn FeinDUPDepartment of EducationNorthern Ireland