Much of the onus for the commencement of real negotiations on the
future of Ireland now rests with Ulster Unionist Party leader
David Trimble.
Sinn Féin enters the talks for the first time next Tuesday 9
September for a plenary session which is due to be followed on 15
September by substantive negotiations.
Trimble's party has not ruled out sitting down with Sinn Féin on
that date but three UUP MPs came out in public this week in
opposition to their party's presence at the table. Trimble
himself has said that substantive issues will not be dealt with
on 15 September. He is still clinging to the bogus
decommissioning demand as a precondition to progress, having lost
the battle to make it a precondition to Sinn Féin's entry to
talks.
Trimble's party has been carrying out consultations with sections
of opinion in the Six Counties over the past few weeks. If those
consultations reflect the mood on the ground and across the
political spectrum the message Trimble will have got is a simple
one - `Talk!'' For too long unionist people have been misled by
demagogues and reactionaries who could face neither the present
nor the future. Now they are at a crossroads. It's up to Trimble
to provide real leadership this time.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)