Sinn Féin plays down hopes of deal
Sinn Féin today played down the prospect of a deal to restore devolution before an Assembly election.
Just hours after Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble claimed the IRA had a week to declare an end to paramilitary activity, Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness criticised the focus on what republicans needed to do at the current time.
After a meeting of Sinn Féin’s officer board in Omagh, the Mid Ulster MP said: “Our discussions with the two governments and the UUP have focused on the need to secure firm commitments – guarantees – on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the sustainability of the institutions.
“The rejection by the two governments of substantive initiatives earlier this year from the IRA, and then by the Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and the decision of the British Prime Minster Tony Blair to twice cancel elections, inflicted enormous damage.
“On top of this the negative effect of the establishment of the so-called Independent Monitoring Commission in breach of the Good Friday Agreement cannot be over estimated.
“There is enormous resentment among republicans and nationalists at the behaviour of the British government, and the constant, singular and unwarranted focus by it on blaming republicans, as evidenced by Paul Murphy’s comments at the British Labour Party conference.”
Mr McGuinness was commenting as the Ulster Unionist Party met in Belfast to consider its formal response to the British and Irish Government’s plan to restore devolution and fully implement the Good Friday Agreement.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern are due to review efforts to restore devolution at a meeting in Rome tomorrow.
