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Mon 15th March
The South Down Assembly Member will spend three days in New York and three days in Washington. She will meet a number of influential figures from the political and business world before attending the annual St Patrick’s Day reception in the White House hosted by President Barack Obama.
Speaking from New York she said: “For 40 years the SDLP has worked hard to build up international good will and support for Ireland in the United States.
“During my first trip to America as SDLP leader I will bring a very simple message for political progress – ‘it’s the Agreement, stupid.’
“Only by returning to the true democratic spirit of the Good Friday Agreement will we deliver the better way to a better Ireland that our people so desperately want.
“I will have no qualms telling Irish America that while devolution is up it is not up and running.
“There is still much more work to be done. The SDLP fully support the devolution of policing and justice. However, once again we will place on record our deep unhappiness at the distortion of the democratic process to gerrymander the position of justice minister.
“The Good Friday Agreement was supported by the people of Ireland, north and south it should not be tampered with lightly.
“Irish America has put years of work into building up our peace process.
“Now we will tell them that it is time for the process politics to end and the progressive politics to begin.
“This will only happen by sticking to the power sharing spirit of the Agreement.
“We must ensure that inclusive democracy is maintained and stand up for all the institutions of the Agreement.”
ENDS
Email
m.ritchie@sdlp.ie
Tel 028 4461 2882
Tel 028 90 52 1837
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