West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Address by Kattalin Madariaga of Abertzale Left to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis

Published: 6 March, 2010

"Thank you Mrs Chair for giving me the floor.

Go raibh míle maith agat. Milesker.

Firstly, on behalf of the patriotic left, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Ard Comhairle & Sinn Féin, for the opportunity to address this 2010 Ard Fheis.

I bring with me special greetings from all the comrades that during the last years have visited Ireland and right now are imprisoned in Spanish prisons. On behalf of all of them: Agur bero bat!! Beir Bua comrades!!

I bring also today with me a message from a man you know here very well, currently imprisoned in Spain, a message from Arnaldo Otegi

A chara,

Dear Gerry (both of you), Martin, Bairbre, Alex, Aengus, Seanna, Caitriona and all menbers of the Ard Comhairle and delegates - agur bero bat from the gaols of the Spanish empire.

As you know Abertzale Left have been involved during last months debating and defining the most effective strategy to advance on our purpose of national independence.

A strategy which making profit of the current opportunities will advance our Abertzale, patriotic agenda.

In this debate the lessons of the Irish Peace process have been very useful during the course of the lengthy and detailed discussions conducted by the Abertzale Left throughout Euskal Herria in recent times.

The acceptance of the need for change to be brought about through a Democratic Process; a commitment to exclusively political and democratic means, and the need for a process of dialogue and negotiation between all political forces governed by the Mitchell Principles are taken from the successful road map laid out by Irish republicans over the past 16 years and more. A road map the last successful Hillsborough Agreement shows how it works.

The response of the Spanish Government to the debate and the initiatives of Abertzale Left has been always repression and harassment.

But what this really does is to show the political weakness of Spanish government positions.

It shows that the Spanish government is afraid of our political positions, of our democratic political proposals.

Our proposals cannot be opposed politically.

Nobody can say they have no sense or are opposed to the international frame.

They are afraid of a peaceful scenario where the majority of the people could decide their future.

They use the reason of the force because they have not the force of the reason.

But we are absolutely committed to open a real opportunity to build a present and a different future for the Basque people.

There is no reasonable alternative to the democratic process to resolve the conflict.

I wish to convey our total commitment to overcome the conflict, by developing a democratic process through exclusively political and democratic means and political dialogue & negotiation among parties.

The solution to the conflict from a democratic point of view is not only desirable but absolutely feasible.

We are completely committed to it and to promote an effective nationalist strategy to make it possible.

It is for this reason I wish to make a call in the first place to the broad Abertzale people in our country to unite in strength to move forward the democratic process.

And to the international community to assist in the construction of a peaceful, fair, stable and lasting democratic scenario in our land.

We know the day will come; the Patriotic Left will count the support of the majority of its people to construct from the Left a state for the Basques in Europe.

Who is afraid of the will of the Basque people? Not us!!

I want also wish you the best of luck on your journey towards an United Gaelic, Democratic, Irish Republic. Be aware you can count in your journey on our unconditional support.

Arnaldo Otegi

From a gaol in the Spanish Empire

Comrades, I would like to end with the words of an Indian patriot, Pandi Nehru:

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now time is coming when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially."

A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

Our day will come!! Tiocfaidh Ár Lá!!"