Sir, - For years we have all complained about the democratic deficit in Northern Ireland - no control by the electorate over the Ministers who govern us. With the best will in the world, the team at Stormont have their fingers on the pulse of British voters; they are not clued in locally. The expressed will of the people is for a local inclusive, devolved government.
A greater than two-thirds majority voted for this in the referendum on the Belfast Agreement. The private sector, trade unions and the voluntary and community sector want local democracy as well. That is why the the Confederation of British Industry, the Irish Congress of Trades Unions and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) have come together to make our voices heard on this fundamental issue for everyone in Northern Ireland. We admire the politicians who gave us the Good Friday Agreement. They climbed a mountain above all odds. Now we need closure on the deal.
We believe this offers the best hope for the lasting peace which we have all longed for, and because it's a chance to really develop the economy, to bring in the jobs and stability that will benefit us all.
The CBI, ICTU and my own organisation, NICVA, believe strongly that we need devolution if Northern Ireland as a region is to catch up with the rest of Europe. A Northern Ireland Executive can build a strong economy, tackle unemployment and work to agree a united front on health, education and the environment.
Only by implementing the agreement will we fill the democratic deficit. We should jump at the chance to get political control over our own lives - and we did in the referendum. The will of the people cannot be fudged, revoked or set aside. It is the duty of politicians to translate that will into a working reality. - Yours, etc.,
Seamus McAleavey, Director, NICVA, Ormeau Road, Belfast 7.