Trimble rejects Adams' talks offer
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said tonight he had offered to talk to members of the Ulster Unionist executive in a bid to repair the strained relationship between their two parties.
After a 40-minute meeting with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, the West Belfast MP revealed he had also suggested that the former Northern Ireland First Minister should address Sinn Fein’s executive as well.
However, his offer was declined, with Mr Trimble insisting that republicans needed to address the question of whether the IRA would abandon all paramilitary activity.
Mr Adams said after his one-to-one meeting with the UUP leader: “I came forward with the proposition that Mr Trimble and I would address the respective executives of our parties, that he would come and meet with the ard chomhairle of Sinn Fein and I would go and meet with the executive of his party.
“Now he declined that invitation but I think he is declining that invitation at this time.
“And I think there is still a pathway of dialogue which can be opened up that the leader of unionism should address republican sentiment and the leaders of Sinn Fein should go along to speak to the people within the executive of the UUP.
“That would be a very good thing indeed.”
Mr Trimble tonight said Mr Adams’ proposal that they should address each other’s parties was “curious”.
“I thought it was a rather curious suggestion to make.
“I wasn’t aware of any particular reason for making the suggestion. I didn’t see any particular value that there would be in it, but as I pointed out to him we are not exactly the best of buddies at the moment.
“So I rather suspect it would be sending the wrong message, the wrong signals.”
Mr Trimble recalled that at one stage during the peace process he had offered to talk directly to the IRA Army Council. The Upper Bann MP added: “I’m not sure, I’m not convinced that this suggestion, which came out of the blue today, is anything other than a stunt.”
Mr Trimble said during their meeting he had discussed the need to resolve the current political crisis by completing the transition of republicanism from paramilitarism to pursuing politics exclusively.
“In the course of the meeting I did in effect observe to him that this was another fine mess you’ve got us into,” the Ulster Unionist MP said.
“I pointed out to him that the matter could only be resolved now by, as the Prime Minister said, acts of completion, as it were, fast-forwarding to the end of the transition and there was a discussion.
“He didn’t offer any particular measures and I didn’t want to get into a debate as to exactly how this issue is to be resolved except to say that this does have to be resolved by the paramilitaries. The onus is on them.”
