The Hindu : Bid to break Ulster deadlock

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

International

International

Bid to break Ulster deadlock

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON FEB. 13. A fresh initiative by British and Irish Governments to break the political impasse in Northern Ireland has failed but they have decided to make another attempt on March 3 and meanwhile intensive informal discussions would be held with Republican and Unionist leaders to narrow down their differences.

The province has been without a Government and an Assembly since last October when they were suspended following allegations of an IRA spy ring in the heart of the administration, and the Unionists' demand for expulsion of Republicans from the ruling coalition because of IRA's activities. The priority in London and Dublin is to restore the local structures as soon as possible because there are fears that a prolonged political vacuum could be exploited by groups opposed to the peace process.

The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who visited Belfast on Wednesday despite his preoccupation with Iraq, admitted that the way ahead was `difficult' but said: "We are determined to try and make progress, and make it as quickly as possible.''His Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Paul Murphy, also sought to put up an optimistic front but acknowledged that the key issue remained IRA's reluctance to disarm as envisaged in the 1998 Good Friday peace accord.

It was stated the aim was to end all paramilitary activity, whether by Republican or Unionist groups, but it was more important for the IRA to disarm because its political wing, the Sinn Fein, was in the Government. Details of Wednesday's talks were not disclosed, but Sinn Fein was reported to be under pressure to get the IRA to demonstrate its commitment to the peace process by giving up its weapons.

``They have to cease (armed) activity finally and terminally,'' Mr. Murphy said echoing Mr. Blair's warning that the situation where Republicans were "half in and half out'' of the peace process was not acceptable. It is believed that in return for IRA's disarmament, the British Government is inclined to make concessions by agreeing to reduce its military presence in Catholic areas and push through more radical police reforms as demanded by Sinn Fein.

The Sinn Fein was said to be unhappy with Wednesday's talks and believed that its concerns were not sufficiently addressed. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the largest and most moderate of Unionist groups, admitted that of late the IRA had been `quiet' but said it was still a `threatening' force. The UUP chief, David Trimble, who headed the provincial Government before it was suspended, made clear that there was no question of returning to the power-sharing arrangement with Sinn Fein unless the IRA disarmed. If peace process continues to be in disarray, the hard-line Democratic Unionist Party which regards the Good Friday agreement as a sell-out to the Republicans, is likely to supersede UUP as the main unionist party in the assembly elections, due in May.

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