Trimble warning on IRA disarmament plans
Talks aimed at restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland will peter out unless the IRA reveals details of its offer to end paramilitarism, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said today.
Mr Trimble, speaking as he released details of his party’s proposals to help restore the power-sharing Assembly said he believed the gap between the parties at Stormont was narrowing.
But he said there was a reluctance by parties to close those remaining gaps until they knew precisely what republicans had offered.
“Without the sort of steps I have mentioned my impression is that the present discussions are going to peter out and who knows what the consequences of that will be,” he said. “Certainly it will not assist the political process here.”
After intensive negotiations at Leeds Castle in Kent last week, Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said they believe a resolution had been achieved to the issues of IRA disarmament and parliamentary activity.
Mr Blair said he could not believe that the entire process would be frustrated by minor procedural issues, which included matters such as accountability of ministers.
Mr Trimble accused the two governments of being at fault for the current deadlock.
“Having started off at Leeds focusing correctly on the issue of paramilitarism they then accepted assurances and then came rushing off after minor issues,” he said.
“I want them to come back to the major issue and get that resolved in a way that people here can buy into and that means knowing what the detail is and hearing it from the horse’s mouth.”
The Ulster Unionist leader said there had been differing accounts of what the IRA had offered and it was in the interests of the republican movement to make clear precisely what it was proposing to do.
“What we need to hear from republicans is precisely what they are offering, what did they say to the (British) Prime Minister with regard to decommissioning and about the extent, the manner and timing of it.”
