by Ronan McSherry

AS Sinn Féin begins consulting its grassroots members over whether to back the PSNI, the party's West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff has said that signing up to policing arrangements in the North will help republicans "achieve a united Ireland."

Sinn Féin could be on course for a historic move to endorse support for the PSNI after a crunch meeting of the party's Ard Chomhairle on Saturday.

After five and a half hours of intense debate the 56-strong national executive voted in favour of holding an extraordinary Ard Fheis on Sunday, January 28, where they will seek support for a motion asking rank-and-file members to back the police. Around 2,000 party members are expected to attend the event in Dublin.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams told party activists they had taken "the historic and courageous decision to proceed to an Ard Fheis on policing despite the failure of the DUP to respond positively."

The decision to push on with the historic Ard Fheis comes after assurances on security measures in the north by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and further indications of changes in policing by PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde.

The move is a massive shift in policy for Sinn Féin and a radical change in republicanism and, despite strong criticism from former colleagues who have left the fold over the policing debate, West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff believes the strategy is in the best interests of the republican movement.

He said, "Sinn Féin has a strategy that is about making sure policing and justice powers are transferred from the hands of English politicians to the hands of Irish politicians. It will also be the first time that politics will be taken out of policing, thus making sure that civic policing is properly accountable. People are taking the strategic view that embracing policing arrangements in the North will help to advance republican goals towards a united Ireland."

Cllr McElduff continued, "People want to endorse the future. The history of policing in the Northern state speaks for itself with the RUC and PSNI having a history of oppressing nationalists and Catholics. They were a political police force which was not accountable. It is not about legitimising the past RUC or PSNI because as far as nationalists are concerned they were a nightmare. You only have to look at their involvement in collusion and shooting people with plastic bullets. We know in Tyrone the manner in which the RUC treated nationalists at the roadside - that will never be forgotten."

The move is set to ignite intense debate throughout the county over the coming two weeks.

The West Tyrone MLA added, "There will be large scale meetings across Tyrone and all over Ireland between now and January 28. The position will be explained to any interested individual. It is going to be a very busy time for republicans. Sinn Féin is about to listen very carefully to the people."

However, a number of so-called 'disaffected' republicans are planning to seek election against their former party in key areas. These include Paul McGlinchey and Gerry McGeogh who are set to stand against Martin McGuinness and Michelle Gildernew in Mid-Ulster and Fermanagh-South Tyrone.

Mr McElduff concluded, "I think everybody is entitled to contest elections but everybody who goes before the electorate has a duty to present a strategy for the future. Sinn Féin is providing leadership for the entire republican and nationalist community and has grown in strength in recent elections."

The DUP responded to Sinn Fein's move by stressing it would make a positive response to any endorsement of the police service.