A number of years ago a body of republicans came together in support of open debate and an end to a range of sordid practices that had brought republicanism into disrepute. The group, while loosely referring to itself as a congress, came to be known as No More Lies.
It aspired to offer some form of moral protection to those republicans who felt they wanted to push back the party censors and thought police.
Today it seems that the need to refute lies and offer moral protection is as great as it was then.
Of particular concern are certain allegations being peddled by the Sinn Fein leadership.
Supported by the PSNI, it claims to be under physical threat from some people opposed to its partitionist policies and its eagerness to embrace the PSNI.
In our view there are threats being made. But they are coming from Sinn Fein and are directed against republicans who seek a wider debate on the policing matter.
A number of people have been warned by Sinn Fein that they must not attend independent meetings organised by republicans around the policing issue.
It is not the threat of physical attack that Sinn Fein leaders fear.
This is evident from the way they continue to go about their daily lives. It is the possibility of republicans fed up with Sinn Fein lies and deceit deciding to mount an electoral challenge that sends shudders of anxiety through the leadership circles. We have no position on electoral intervention one way or the other. We do not know if any electoral challenge has been discussed. But those who wish to discuss all matters relevant to republicanism – including an alternative electoral strategy to Sinn Fein’s, must be both free and safe to do so. We are concerned that in a bid to stifle wider discussion within the republican community, Sinn Fein is pursuing a strategy of threat against dissenting voices. They are disguising their own menace by attributing violent intent to those voices. Such voices are healthy in a republicanism unafraid of critical self-examination. They must be protected against Sinn Fein leadership threats and smears used to undermine their credibility.
Let the debate take place and the most honest participants win.
Under no circumstances should it be prevented from happening.
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