Ahern: Next few days crucial
The next few days will be of crucial importance for the democratic life of Northern Ireland, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today.
Mr Ahern also hoped the body set up to scrutinise paramilitary ceasefires and demilitarisation in Northern Ireland would up and running by the end of November.
Speaking at the annual Wolfe Tone commemoration ceremony in Bodenstown, Co Kildare, Mr Ahern said: “We have always said that we want elections to take place. We did not agree to their postponement earlier this year.
“The coming days will be of crucial importance for the democratic life of Northern Ireland.”
Divisions could only be bridged if all political groups worked together.
“We have been here before and close before,” he said. “Nobody should underestimate the scale of the challenge or its enormous importance. Building trust is essential.
“We therefore welcome the direct and intensive engagement between the UUP and Sinn Féin in recent weeks.
“We hope that this will be fruitful and that it will prove possible to turn a further decisive page in the long history of our island.”
The Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein have met several times in recent weeks as efforts have been stepped up to set a date for Assembly elections. Parties are hopeful they will take place in the final week of November.
Speculation is mounting that, if a deal is struck between unionists and republicans, Tony Blair and Mr Ahern will fly to Northern Ireland next week to mark the event.
Today Mr Ahern warned that trust among parties was “not the same as confidence” – and spoke of the role the Independent Monitoring Commission will play in the future.
He said: “It is our intention that the Commission be in a position to go live by the end of November.
“It will report on the fulfilment of any commitments on the cessation of paramilitary activity and security normalisation.
“The Commission can furthermore recommend remedial action if they conclude that a party is in breach of its commitments, for example on the pledge of office.”
The body, part of the British and Irish governments’ blueprint for restoring devolution to the North, will gather information from the public as part of its six-monthly assessments of terrorist activities and scaling down of security.
Currently in shadow form, the commission will be formally constituted when the British and Irish governments give effect to a new International Agreement.
