Britain and Ireland wrestle with Trimble threat
The British and Irish Governments were today planning their next move in the peace process as concern mounted that they may not be able to resolve the arms issue ahead of David Trimble’s resignation as Northern Ireland First Minister.
With the Ulster Unionist leader threatening to stand down from the power sharing executive on Sunday if there is not sufficient disarmament by the IRA, pessimism is growing in Stormont about the ability of the Governments to persuade the terror group to disarm over the next six days.
A Stormont source said: ‘‘At this stage the Prime Minister and theTaoiseach are taking stock of the situation and deciding how best to proceed.
‘‘However I think there is a realisation that the pro-Agreement parties and the Governments may have to continue the negotiations after David Trimble’s resignation on July 1.
‘‘There is an expectation there will be talks later this week probably with Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern involved.
‘‘The thing to watch is whether they are held in Hillsborough or in Downing Street because if they are in Downing Street that would be a sign that the Governments are looking at continuing the process after July 1.’’
Northern Ireland’s political parties are deadlocked over the issue of IRA arms with unionists, the British Government and in recent days, the Irish Government and John Hume’s SDLP intensifying the pressure on republicans to budge on decommissioning.
The parties must also negotiate an interlocking deal which will enable nationalists to endorse the Government’s controversial policing reforms, allay Sinn Fein and SDLP concerns over army bases and operations and end permanently unionist sanctions against republican ministers on the Stormont Executive.
However comments by a senior IRA source last Wednesday and leading Sinn Fein figures Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness have shown a clear reluctance by republicans to move on the weapons issue despite increasing political isolation.
If Mr Trimble resigns, however, Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid will be faced with the dilemma of how to prevent the new political institutions going into freefall.
Stormont Deputy First Minister and SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon will also be forced to seek re-election to his post in the assembly six weeks after the July 1 resignation as both offices are interlinked.
Failure to elect a First and Deputy First Minister could result in fresh Assembly elections - an unattractive option for the Government after the gains made by Sinn Fein and the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists in Westminster and local government elections.
With most pundits predicting the Government will be forced to suspend the institutions before an Assembly vote, Dr Reid refused to concede yesterday claims that Mr Trimble’s resignation was inevitable.
‘‘I don’t accept that there is no prospect of making further progress on the issue of paramilitary arms before next Sunday and I will certainly continue to do my best to see that there is progress,’’ he said.
‘‘However, this is a (peace) process which will continue it has been going on four or five years. In its roots it goes back up to 10 or 15 years and it’s addressing a problem that goes back somewhere between 80 and several hundred years.
‘‘While there are deadlines for all of these things, it is a process which will continue.
‘‘I want to see us creating the circumstances where no leader has to resign or walk away from this.’’
