Call for new peace deal after IRA withdraw decommissioning commitment
The Irish and British governments are under pressure today to advance the North's peace process without the IRA.
It follows the IRA withdrawal from its commitment to decommission all of its weapons in return for a settlement.
Unionists are now stepping up demands for the restoration of a devolved administration in the North without Sinn Fein.
The IRA in a statement released last night accused the Irish and British governments of withdrawing their commitments and trying its patience to the limit.
It confirmed that it was withdrawing its proposals to get rid of its weapons.
The move came after both governments blamed the IRA for carrying out the £26.5m (€38m) bank raid on the Northern Bank in Belfast, a claim that the IRA rejects.
It has not threatened a return to full scale violence.
It stated: “The IRA has demonstrated our commitment to the peace process again and again. We want it to succeed. We have played a key role in achieving the progress achieved so far."
DUP leader Ian Paisley said the IRA statement would be treated with contempt by all right thinking people.
“Not for the first time, the IRA has withdrawn its co-operation on decommissioning. This will be another attempt to bargain with the (British) government in order to take the pressure off them.
“The Northern Bank heist confirmed that the IRA never put an offer on the table that they intended to keep. The IRA had never any intention of decommissioning in a credible, transparent and verifiable way. They never had any intention of giving up their criminal empire. That is why they walked away from the table last year.”
Senior Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey called on both governments to make progress without republicans.
“It is now eight years since Republicans agreed to commit to exclusively peaceful and democratic means. The people of Northern Ireland are still waiting for them to do so
“The IRA are attempting to throw down the gauntlet to both governments with this statement. It is a crude, thinly-veiled threat.
“It is now up to those who support the democratic process, including the Prime Minister and Taoiseach, to stand shoulder to shoulder and face this threat down,” he added.
The SDLP has refused to enter a voluntary coalition with unionists without the participation of Sinn Féin.
Deputy Leader Alasdair McDonnell said they could not allow the peace process to be held hostage to the intransigence of the IRA or the DUP.
“There is an onus on the governments to ensure that as much of the Agreement as possible is implemented now. We cannot allow the IRA to stand in the way of change and progress for all of us,” he added.
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