Real talks begin
By Peadar Whelan
AFTER ALMOST 16 MONTHS OF prevarication, stalling and the
imposition of preconditions the British government and the Ulster
Unionist Party finally sat down in negotiations with Sinn Fein. A
process that got under way despite unionist insistence that they
wouldn't happen until the decommissioning happened.
Eight political parties and representatives of the British and
Dublin goverments were at Castle Buildings, Stormont on Tuesday 7
for the beginning of substantive talks, talks that should have
happened within three months of the IRA cessation of military
operations announced in August 1994.
Instead we had to wait almost three years for the three stranded
talks process to get under way. And despite the large dose of
unionist negativity, epitomised by the decision of both Ian
Paisley and UK Unionist Robert McCartney to boycott the talks and
David Trimble's negative campaigning in the United States the
general view of the first day's proceedings was that it was
positive.
In the course of the proceedings Strands One and Two, which
involves Sinn Fein, got under way with the Sinn Fein input being
to submit papers from party President Gerry Adams and Martin
McGuinness, chief negotiator.
Strand One of the process deals with the relationship with the
parties within the North and Strand Two focuses on the
``north/south'' relationships.
Strand Three of the talks, concerning as it does, relations
between the governments but not the political parties also got
under way.
``We are willing to engage in real and meaningful negotiations
with those who come to these negotiations with a pro-union
agenda'', stated McGuinness. He added, ``dialogue and negotiation
can be the bedrock on which together we can build a peaceful
settlement to this age old conflict''.
Coupled to the substantive talks is the work of the three working
committees, the Business committee, which willset the agenda for
the talks, and the Confidence and Decommissioning sub-committees.
According to Bairbre De Brun a Sinn Fein negotiator who sits on
the Business Committee, ``Sinn Fein fully intends to highlight and
secure progress on a range of issues under the equality banner.
We believe that the British government must implement a
programme of confidence building measures which will end
political, economic, social and cultural discrimination.
``Both the British and Dublin governments need to urgently address
a demilitrisation agenda which deals with release of of all
political prisoners, removes all repressive legislation and
replaces the RUC with a normal, acceptable police service'', De
Brun said.
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