Sinn Féin to study decommissioning proposals
British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaking in the House of
Commons on Wednesday announced new proposals which he said were
designed to handle the issue of decommissioning and thus
facilitate progress to substantive negotiations.
The proposals were agreed with the Dublin government at the start
of the week and given to talks chairperson George Mitchell for
presentation to the parties at Stormont on Wednesday. The
proposals were along the lines of the Report of the International
Body (the Mitchell Report) which was effectively binned by John
Major last year. However there were differing interpretations of
whether actual decommissioning of weapons would be required
during talks. After meeting Blair on Tuesday morning Ulster
Unionist Party leader David Trimble said there would have to
evidence of physical handover of weapons before Sinn Féin could
enter substantive negotiations.
In his House of Commons speech Blair also outlined the contents
of an aide memoire sent by the British government to Sinn Féin on
13 June. This addressed four key issues raised by Sinn Féin - the
party's entry to talks, the need for confidence-building
measures, decommissioning and the timeframe for negotiations. On
entry it said that the British government would make its
judgement on Sinn Féin qualification for entry within six weeks
of an IRA cessation; on decommissioning there was a one-paragraph
summary of the paper on decommissioning; confidence-building
measures were dealt with in general terms and a target date of
May 1998 has been set for the conclusion of negotiations.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams on Wednesday evening said that
Sinn Féin will give the proposals by the two governments ``our
fullest attention and consideration''.
The Sinn Féin President welcomed the proposal by the two
governments to ``remove decommissioning as an obstacle to the
commencement of the substantive negotiations''. However he
expressed concern that the decommissioning issue will become a
block to the negotiation of the substantive issues further down
the road. He noted that the ``two governments have committed
themselves to ensuring that this will not happen and that
decommissioning can be addressed without blocking the
negotiations.''
The full statement from Gerry Adams reads:
``As Sinn Féin has already acknowledged this British government
has taken up positions which are an advance on those of the last
government.
``The Aide Memoire addressed in varying degrees, the four issues
which are central to the creation of a meaningful and inclusive
process of negotiations. Clarity and detail are of course still
necessary on these matters. Presumably, these can be provided
without further delay.
``We will give the proposals published today by the two
governments our fullest attention and consideration and we
welcome the proposal by the two governments to remove
decommissioning as an obstacle to the commencement of the
substantive negotiations.
``Having said that I remain deeply concerned that the
decommissioning issue will become a block to the negotiation of
the substantive issues further down the road. We are informed
that the two governments have committed themselves to ensuring
that this will not happen and that decommissioning can be
addressed without blocking the negotiations.
``If this is the case there needs to be a clear understanding of
how the British government intends to do this. This is my primary
concern.
``The situation on prisoners and on a whole range of issues of
democratic and civil rights, which effect the day to day lives of
nationalists, also requires urgent attention. This is critical at
this time to building confidence.
``In his speech Mr Blair gave his view of the outline of a
political settlement. I want to state very firmly that this is
certainly not Sinn Féin's view and not we are sure the view of
other parties to the talks.''
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