Sir, - I am a Southern Protestant who has lived in South Africa during the period of negotiations which led to the recent settlement there. I was forcibly struck by how blessed that country was in having political leaders, on both sides, of great wisdom, such as Nelson Mandela, Cyril Ramaphosa, Rolf Meyer and F. W. De Clerk. They were prepared to engage in tough bargaining to find solutions and thus avoid a bloodbath.
Recently, some leaders here, on both sides, have shown similar leadership and statesmanship, with a willingness to lead their people in the search for a just and lasting peace, where the two traditions can live in harmony, sharing government and mutual respect. There are no easy solutions, but the Belfast Agreement has given a way forward. Those leading the No camp have no constructive alternative and one suspects that some of them cannot conceive anything beyond the selfish concerns of their own group. Where there is no vision, a society perishes. - Yours, etc., Ian Broad,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.