SF 'must remain under pressure over IRA links'
Sinn Féin must remain under pressure over its links to the IRA, a senior Democratic Unionist insisted today.
As Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair prepared to meet in Dublin to discuss the deadlock in the peace process, DUP European Election candidate Jim Allister claimed republicans were feeling the heat over their involvement in paramilitarism.
Following Gerry Adams’ claim in Dublin last night that the Irish Government was contemplating excluding his party from the political process in Northern Ireland, Mr Allister said: “Sinn Féin is under pressure.
“Adams is clearly rattled.
“The challenge now is whether the British and Irish governments will match their tough words with action. Words will never move Sinn Féin.”
The DUP and Ulster Unionists have been pressing the British and Irish governments to impose sanctions on Sinn Féin in the review of the Good Friday Agreement at Stormont following the attempted abduction last month of Belfast republican, Bobby Tohill.
Northern Ireland police chief Hugh Orde blamed the Provisional IRA for the incident.
However the organisation has denied its leadership had authorised any kidnapping.
That has not satisfied the governments or other parties taking part in talks to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The four-member Independent Monitoring Commission, which was set up last year to comment regularly on paramilitary activity, has been asked by the British and Irish governments to bring forward their first report to May.
Mr Blair and Mr Ahern are expected to discuss what options are open to them for taking republicans to task should the commission blame the IRA for the incident.
They are also expected to focus on how they can breathe life into what has been a lacklustre series of talks at Stormont.
The Independent Monitoring Commission has also signalled it was considering producing a report specifically on the Tohill incident.
Mr Allister today said he shared the view of cross community Alliance Party Assembly member Seamus Close that “76% of the electorate who voted for constitutional parties” could not be “held to ransom by the 24% who backed refractory Sinn Féin”.
The DUP candidate said: “It’s time to move on without them.
“No doubt with St Patrick’s week looming Sinn Féin will again try and play ‘the American card’.
“I’m glad the DUP will have a strong team in New York and Washington to rebut their special pleading.
“If political progress is to be achieved then no one must let Sinn Féin off the hook.
“Only exclusively constitutional politics will do. There is no hybrid option.”
Mr Allister also claimed there was an obvious correlation between the pressure now on Sinn Féin and the change of leadership in unionism.
“Hitherto, Adams and McGuinness knew a little footwork and a few choreographed words would mollify Trimble and Empey,” he said.
“Now, they and the governments have to reckon with a unionism which won’t roll over.
“The bottom line of irreversible abandonment of terror and all its means has been set; it’s immovable.”
