This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland

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Republican Sinn Féin (RSF) is a minor political party operating in Ireland. It formed in the early 1980s as a splinter from Provisional Sinn Féin.

The decision was taken in response to Provisional Sinn Féin's decision at their 1986 Ard-Fheis to end their policy of abstention from elections to the British House of Commons and the Dáil Éireann. They viewed this as an acceptance of the legitimacy of the partition of Ireland into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The splinter was led by the former leader of Provisional Sinn Féin, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and much of the older Southern based membership of the provisionals who disagreed with Gerry Adams and his Northern based backers in their moves to end abstentionism.

RSF remains a small party and continues its policy of abstentionism, thus meaning they have not stood in elections to either the Commons or the Dáil. They also opposed the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly as they felt this further entrenched a British presence in Ireland. They have therefore not participated in elections to the Assembly either.

They stand on a platform of the establishment of social justice based on what they describe as the principles of Irish Republican Socialism, based on the 1916 proclamation of an Irish Republic. They also have a policy named Éire Nua, which would see the establishment of a 32 county Ireland completely independent of the United Kingdom and set up as a federation of the four Irish provinces.

Ruairí Ó Brádaigh remains RSF's President.

External link

• Official web site (http://www.rsf.ie/)