Momentum maintained
Following last week's review breakthrough, former US Senator George Mitchell delivered his concluding report on Thursday, 18 November declaring: ``While decommissioning is an essential element of the Agreement, the context in which it can be achieved is the overall implementation of the agreement.'' He said there would be no prospect of decommissioning if unionists rejected David Trimble and the process failed.
On Friday, the officer board of the Ulster Unionist Party decided to recommend to the Ulster Unionist Council the establishment of the institutions in the Good Friday Agreement. Welcoming the decision Sinn Féin's Mitchel McLaughlin said: ``The establishment of these inclusive institutions will transform the situation and open up a new era of partnership between nationalists and unionists and republicans.
``Sinn Féin is committed to that approach and to the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement in all its aspects- working with, not against unionists.
``It is now time start afresh. To put the failures, the tragedies and sufferings of the past behind us.''
Also on Friday and speaking from the United States, Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle member Martin Ferris said that a second-hand report posted on the Internet the previous day regarding his views on the Mitchell Review and recent political developments, and which had been greeted with much speculation and comment in the Irish and British media was ``both innacurate and misleading''.
Also speaking from the United States, Sinn Féin Vice President Pat Doherty expressed ``dismay and deep concern'' at the reporting of his remarks to an editorial board meeting of the Boston Herald, which had also gained a large degree of media coverage.
Doherty said: ``Any suggestion that I deviated in any way from the Sinn Féin position spelt out this week in statements in Belfast is entirely wrong. I am 110% behind the position articulated by our party President Gerry Adams on 16 November.''
On Monday, speaking in the House of Commons, Secretary of State Peter Mandelson outlined his view of the likely scenario for establishing the institutions under the Good Friday Agreement, stressing a ``default'' measure which clearly lay outside the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
Responding to Mandleson's speech, Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness said: ``The Good Friday Agreement is clear on the establishment of the political institutions and mechanisms to address all other issues. ``There is no default mechanism in the Good Friday Agreement. The default scenario presented by the British government is clearly outside the terms of the Agreement. Sinn Féin is opposed to any such mechanism. For 18 months, the Good Friday Agreement was in default and no sanctions were imposed.
``Many republicans and nationalists will be concerned at any departure from the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Sinn Féin has never defaulted from the terms of the Good Friday Agreement; Sinn Féin has never defaulted on any of our commitments under the Agreement.''
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