Talks set to end 'with no deal in sight'
Negotiations to restore Northern Ireland’s power-sharing administration appear have ended without producing a deal, it was claimed today.
Even though a huge new IRA pledge to destroy their weapons was put on the table, British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s attempt to break the two-year political deadlock has not overcome demands by Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists for major changes to the Good Friday Agreement.
As Mr Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern prepared to reveal progress made during three days of intense discussions at Leeds Castle, Kent, the nationalist SDLP said more work still had to be done.
Alex Attwood, a senior party representative, said: “The business is over. The talks seem to have concluded without any deal.”
London and Dublin believed they had achieved enough on IRA disarmament to satisfy DUP demands and unlock the stagnating peace process.
Unionists refuse to revive the Stormont coalition government which collapsed two years ago over an alleged republican spy plot until the terrorist organisation disbands and destroys its weapons.
After meetings with Sinn Féin leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness it is understood a draft IRA declaration was tabled.
But the process hit a wall when Mr Paisley’s negotiating team refused to compromise on its pledges to overhaul how the Executive operated.
The DUP want to split the First and Deputy First Minister’s office, a key part of cross-community power sharing, and make ministers more accountable to the 108-member Assembly.
Both Sinn Féin and the SDLP resisted this plan, arguing that it was an attempt to impose unionist majority rule.
Alban Maginness, another SDLP delegate, said: “Negotiation is about giving and taking.
“They (the DUP wanted) to take on all fronts and give on no fronts.”
