FLASH:
GOVERMENTS MOVE TO RESTORE INSTITUTIONS BY MAY 22
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In
a defining moment for the peace process, the British and Irish governments
announced tonight that the Northern Assembly and Executive are to be restored by
May 22, subject to a positive response by the political parties.
On
February 11, Britain's governor in Ireland Peter Mandelson, suspended the
North's devolved power-sharing institutions and reimposed direct rule from
London.
A
joint statement by the two governments tonight declares the governments'
commitment to the full implementation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement by June
of next year.
It
announces the existence of clear proposals implementing the remaining aspects of
the Good Friday Agreement, and urges the IRA and loyalist organisations to
"state clearly that they will put their arms completely and verifiably
beyond use". In response to such a "reduction in the threat", the
British government said it would take substantial normalisation measures toward
the demilitarisation of the North of Ireland by June 2001.
The
announcement came shortly before midnight, after a long day of talks in Belfast,
involving the pro-Agreement political parties and the Irish and British Prime
Ministers.
British
premier Tony Blair said he hoped the arms issue would now be dealt with
"completely and verifiably".
Mr
Blair said: "It is now incumbent upon the parties and perhaps in particular
the paramilitary organisations that they respond to these proposals that we have
made.
"We
very much hope that response is positive and in particular we can make sure the
arms issue is dealt with completely and verifiably."
Irish
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he looked forward to the full implementation of the
1998 Good Friday Agreement and a "finality to where we are at this
stage".
Mr
Ahern said: "I hope that this will form the basis for the institutions to
be up and running by later this month."
Sinn
Fein President Gerry Adams said it was a "very decisive moment" in the
peace process. He welcomed the
governments' decision to bring about the restoration of the institutions and
said he believed nationalists and republicans would welcome the governments'
commitments on human rights, equality, the Irish language, demilitarisation and
support for all the victims of the conflict.
He
added: "It is also essential that we have a new policing service which
nationalists and Republicans can give their support to and feel confident about
joining."
He
spoke of the "many difficulties" that the change invoked by the Good
Friday Agreement presented for those locked into the divisions and conflicts of
the past.
"But
change is essential if there is to be real equality, real democracy, real
justice and the rights of people of this island to be respected and valued.
There must be no more second class citizens."
Mr
Adams said it was now time to stand up for, and defend, the Agreement.
"I
would urge all of those who voted yes in the referendum in May 1998 to rally
behind this initiative, support those political leaders and parties who are
striving for a new and better future for our children and give it a fair wind in
the time ahead."
There
was no immediate statement from the Ulster Unionist Party.
The
full text of joint governmental statement is as follows:
1
In recent weeks the two governments have taken stock of progress in implementing
the Good Friday Agreement.
2
Much progress has already been made but there has been disagreement over how and
when implementation of remaining aspects of the Agreement should be achieved.
3
The governments now believe that the remaining steps necessary to secure full
implementation of the agreement can be achieved by June 2001, and commit
themselves to that goal. They have drawn up and are communicating to the
parties, an account of these steps.
4
Subject to a positive response to this statement the British government will
bring forward the necessary order to enable the Assembly to be restored by 22
May 2000.
5
With confidence that there are clear proposals for implementing all other
aspects of the Agreement, the government believe that paramilitary organisations
must now, for their part, urgently state clearly that they will put their arms
completely and verifiably beyond use. Such statements would constitute a clear
reduction in the threat. In response, the British government would, subject to
its assessment of the level of threat at the time, on which it will continue to
consult regularly with the Irish government, take further substantial
normalisation measures by June 2001.
6
The IICD (Independent International Commission on Decommissioning) will continue
its task under the Agreement. The government will now ask the IICD to consider
urgently, in consultation with representatives of the paramilitary organisations,
whether there are any further proposals for decommissioning schemes which offer
the Commission greater scope to proceed in more effective and satisfactory ways
with the discharge of its basic mandate and to report. The government will give
early consideration to any such proposals. The Commission will make further
reports as necessary. Those reports will be published promptly by the two
governments.
7
Progress to full implementation of all aspects of the Agreement will be
periodically assessed by the two governments, in consultation with the Northern
Ireland parties.
8
If difficulties arise in the implementation of the Agreement (for example, the
IICD reports that it does not believe that arms will be put beyond use, or the
institutions are not operating in good faith as envisaged in the Agreement), the
two governments will, in consultation with the Assembly and the Executive, carry
out an immediate formal review under the terms of the Agreement.
c.
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