Sir, - Reluctant though I am to criticise the Belfast Agreement, which I greatly welcome, I must point out that there appears to be democratic flaw in the proposed constitutional amendment to be put before the electorate of the Republic.
The proposed Article 2 states that "it is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland . . . to be part of the Irish nation". In other words, Northerners who might wish to remain politically British may still consider themselves part of the Irish nation as well (on international sporting occasions, for instance). Very good.
However, the proposed Article 3 then continues: "It is the firm will of the Irish nation . . . to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland . . ."
There is surely a democratic defect here. We are saying in the proposed Article 2 that the Irish nation is much more than the present 26-county State, and may even include unionists among others. But then, in the suggested article 3, we propose to allow only the electorate of that 26-county State to speak on behalf of the whole nation, including those whose "firm will" is anything but a unitary Irish state! Surely some mistake?
Or is the real message still that non-nationalists are not really Irish anyway? - Yours, etc.
Nigel Cooke,
Wheatfields Court, Dublin 22.