Irish Republican News and Information

Irish Republican News and Information, 11. April 2003, http://irlnet.com/rmlist/

STALEMATE AS GOVERNMENTS WITHHOLD IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Blame game clouds efforts to advance process

Fresh uncertainty has arisen over the British government's intention to fully implement the 1998 Good Friday Agreement following its failure to make a promised declaration containing an implementation plan at Hillsborough Castle outside Belfast yesterday [Thursday].

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had been expected to finally unveil their implementation plan to end five years of political wrangling between the political parties and the two governments over broken promises on policing reform, demilitarisation and human rights.

However, the plan was changed at the last minute, and the international media which had gathered outside Hillsborough Castle was instead briefed that the IRA was to blame.

Although the IRA was not a signatory of the Good Friday Agreement, an attempt was made to make it the scapegoat for the governments' failure to implement the Agreement. The media was told the IRA was planning what was described as an inadequate response to their implentation plan.

Bertie Ahern then travelled to London for further talks before joining Tony Blair ar a joint press conference at Downing Street last night.

The two leaders said they had worked "immensely hard" on the implementation document. "There are outstanding issues," Blair conceded. "The two governments are in complete agreement, however, about the right way forward."

Clarity and certainty was needed to move the peace process forward, they insisted.

Mr Blair said he and Mr Ahern would be in contact with the pro-agreement parties overnight and that the deadlock could be overcome. Time is urgent, Mr Blair said, although difficulties could be "ironed out".

Responding to the Mr Blair and Mr Ahern, Sinn Fein Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin MLA said that, on the fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, one thing was beyond dispute -- the Agreement had not been implemented in full.

"The two governments should now tell us how they intend to implement the Agreement," he said.

"The Taoiseach and Prime Minister have spoken about clarity and certainty. They should publish the Joint Declaration immediately to ensure that there is clarity and certainty on the two governments' position. This would allow everyone to make their own judgements on this."

He said that critical issues remain to be resolved, including a timeframe for the transfer of power on policing and justice, the suspension of the institutions, the absence of any clear commitment from the Ulster Unionist Party that it will work the institutions in a sustainable way; and the attempt to introduce sanctions against Sinn Fein, which he said were clearly outside the terms of the Agreement.

Nationalists are aware that the publication of the implementation plan does not in intself represent an "act of completion" as it provides no real commitment or assurance that the British government will fulfil the promises outlined. They will recall previous joint declarations whcih have proven worthless in the past as British political will to wring changes in the North of Ireland faded in the face of unionist intransigence.

Indeed, much of the ongoing negotiations are dedicated to undoing the damage wreaked on the Good Friday Agreement by former British Secretary of State Peter Mandelson and his legislation to dilute policing reform and suspend the North's political institutions.

'Certainty' is one theme which will have arisen in talks today between Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams MP, the party's Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness MP and US Ambassador Richard Haas this afternoon.

Mr Adams said he believed that Mr Haas was "very familiar" with all of the issues and the difficulties confronting the negotiators.

"Sinn Fein's focus in on making the Good Friday Agreement work - of getting it implemented in full," said Mr Adams. "That is what we collectively agreed five years ago. That is what people want."

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, who briefed party members on the situation at a meeting of his executive, accused republicans of holding the peace process "to ransom".

But Mr Adams said that there were no new negotiations taking place.

"Our discussions with the two governments on the measures needed to implement the Agreement are in my view now finished. There are critical issues, which have yet to be properly dealt with.

"But in our discussions with the governments we told them several days ago that the negotiations are concluded. There is now, therefore, no reason or excuse for the governments to delay the publication of their plan - their Joint Declaration - setting out how they intend to complete the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Then let others respond to it, including the armed groups, including the IRA."

"But we should not lose sight of what this is about. It is about implementing an Agreement that guarantees peoples rights and entitlements. These are not concessions to be given or held at the behest or veto of any one else, whether a government, a political party or an armed group."

Mr Haas said after the talks that "acts of completion" were needed and unionists had to be reassured.

"We need statements as well as deeds that clearly both symbolise and truly reflect changes in the situation on the ground," he said.

He said he had urged Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness "to use their influence to try and persuade the IRA to say and do things that would mark an historic transformation in the situation.

"I also urged Gerry Adams in his capacity as president of Sinn Fein to say things which resonate with rank-and-file unionists."

Mr Haas added that time was "of the essence".

"There is good reason to feel some urgency, and I urge them to do everything within their political power to persuade people in the IRA leadership to do what I think needs doing," he added.

Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness will hold a meeting with Bertie Ahern in Dublin tomorrow [Saturday] while British government spokespersons in Belfast and Dublin confirmed discussions are continuing to break the latest impasse in the peace process.

"It is looking like the timing is just not right," a British spokesman confirmed. "However we are not giving up hope. We would hope to be able to resolve this by the weekend."