Adams Pushes For Labour & Sinn Fein Coalition

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams is attempting to sway the Irish Labour from joining with its likely coalition partners, Fine Gael, after the upcoming election.

In comments made during the Morning Ireland programme today, the former West Belfast MLA said his party wanted to be in Government and that the Labour Party leader's indications to side with Fine Gael would lead to "cuts and inequality".

Mr Adams said no party had a mandate for the next Dáil as yet but was indicating that working with the Labour Party was his party's preference.

In a statement released last night, Mr Adams said the election should not be about the rehabilitation of Fine Gael or a beauty contest between Eamon Gilmore and Enda Kenny and should be about a "genuine beginning of root and branch reform of our political, social and economic systems".

"Citizens considering voting for Labour at the forthcoming election should ensure they read the Fine Gael manifesto before they cast their vote. Because those policies including welfare cuts and public sector cuts are what Eamon Gilmore intends to implement in government.

"Sinn Fein will offer the only real political alternative at the General Election. We propose to reduce the exchequer deficit in a fair and balanced way. We are seeking to stimulate the economy, reform the tax system and protect low and average income households," he said.

The Sinn Fein President, who will be contesting the Louth constituency in the forthcoming election, said both Fine Gael and Labour "missed the point completely" over renegotiation of the EU-IMF bailout deal if elected to government, saying his party would separate sovereign debt from private banking debt.

(DW)