Then the refusal of Sinn Fein to commit itself to peace blocked talks and prevented all the other parties from proceeding. Now their refusal should only veto themselves and those who prefer their company. We proceed on that basis. The alternative would be appeasement and surrender to which we will not be a party. Consent Consent simply means that it is for the people of Northern Ireland as a whole, and for them alone, to determine their constitutional destiny.
Elections are obviously the embodiment of that democratic principle.
Any talks must be clearly embedded within the democratic process. But elections do more than that. They involve the people of Northern Ireland as participants in determining their future rather than passive spectators awaiting the judgement of others. They provide a public forum through which public opinion, especially outside Northern Ireland can be educated, and where issues can be ventilated and the acceptability of possible outcomes tested. Elections, moreover, are a challenge.