Adams 'oblivious' to republican impact on talks
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams seems either oblivious or uncaring about the impact the republican approach to the Northern Ireland peace talks is having on unionists, a leading loyalist politician claimed today.
Progressive Unionist Assembly member David Ervine ruled out his party going to the Weston Park talks when they resume tomorrow because their structure allowed republicans to come up with "a growing shopping list of demands".
The East Belfast MLA said: "We are at the high wire stage here where it is being suggested this whole process is about trying to instill confidence in unionism in the process.
"But what we are getting is an endless list of demands from Sinn Fein.
"Now we have said to the Prime Minister, be careful because that growing shopping list is ending up in pain for unionism and when we ask Adams to define the causes of conflict, to tell us the price, we don’t get an answer except a growing list of demands.
"Now either Gerry Adams is oblivious or uncaring about the impact this is having on the unionist community. You simply cannot have a one-sided process."
Mr Ervine, whose party is linked to the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force and remains supportive of the Good Friday Agreement, criticised the current talks format of the British and Irish Governments, Ulster Unionists, SDLP and Sinn Fein trying to resolve the arms issue along with policing and demilitarisation.
The format, he noted, had been applied since 1998 and it still failed to resolve the problems in the peace process.
"Let’s think about this a moment. How many minutes have David Trimble and Gerry Adams spent together across a table since April 10, 1998?
"Then ask the question how many minutes have they spent across a table with Tony Blair? It seems they can’t lick a postage stamp without the Prime Minister being there.
"This is not the way to run a process."
Mr Ervine and his party, which officially pulled out of the Weston Park talks on Tuesday, were invited last night by the Northern Ireland Office to return to the secluded venue tomorrow when the talks resume after a break for the Orange Order’s Battle of the Boyne celebrations.
Other small pro-Agreement parties have been invited.
The future of the Good Friday Agreement remained in the balance last night as talks were suspended until Friday.
Some progress was reported on the issues of police reform and demilitarisation by SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon.
However the Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister said it was still unclear what republicans were prepared to do about decommissioning.
He said: "There have been advances on some of the other issues. There have been advances on the policing issue. There are still outstanding issues to be resolved serious outstanding issues.
"There have been advances about understandings about (security) normalisation as well. So there have been some advances but this is the point: that on one of the central issues, and I will be specific, about dealing with illegally held arms, there isn’t the clarity yet that is required."
Ulster Unionists were equally despondent.
"It’s very frustrating," a UUP source said.
"Despite a concerted effort to make republicans acknowledge their obligation to decommission their weapons, Sinn Fein would not address the issue. The mood is very glum right now and there is great deal of anger."
However Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams rejected criticism of his party’s handling of the decommissioning issue.
"Seamus (Mallon) has said all of the parties have to take responsibility for all these issues," the West Belfast MP said.
"There are no niche issues. No party should be twinned to a particular issue and I agree with him on that.
"All of the parties need to bend their will in sorting out all of these issues of policing, the criminal justice system, the whole equality agenda, the whole business of demilitarisation and of course, the whole issue of arms."
