An Phoblacht/Republican News, October 27, 2003
Pre-election talks end in failure
Efforts to agree a political deal between the Ulster Unionists
and Sinn Fein ended tonight in Belfast when they failed to
sort out their row about IRA weapons decommissioning.
All the North's political parties will now concentrate on
Assembly elections with polling due to take place on 26
November.
Earlier, the Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said the
speech made by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams was very
important and very significant but they had not had the
"transparency" necessary to complete the deal.
Although the Independent International Commission on
Decommissioning (IICD) verified that the IRA's third
disarmament move was larger than ever before, unionists were
disappointed at the low-key presentation of their report.
Mr Trimble said the Adams speech had been "very positive",
saying in effect that the war was over and the conflict would
be pursued in a peaceful manner, but what they "did not have
was a sense that things were coming to an end or to a
completion".
But he said that were inexorably moving towards an election. A
meeting of his party's ruling Ulster Unionist Council, planned
to consideer any possible deal on Wednesday, has now been
cancelled.
Meanwhile, officials of the two governments, who had been
working to resolve the latest standoff over unionist demands
for "transparency" in IRA disarmament, have gone home.
Speaking to reporters tonight, Mr Adams said "Unionists find
it hard to say 'Yes'".
He accused the Ulster Unionists of failing to deliver their
side of the bargain last week and of walking away from a short
term solution.
"I have Mr Trimble's commitment in my pocket," the West
Belfast MP said.
"I have the commitments of the British and Irish Governments
in my pocket.
"All of what Mr Trimble has said is about what republicans
have done and he has praised what has been achieved but what
we don't have is what the Ulster Unionists agreed.
"Those were crucial in getting the IRA and the words which I
said which I stand over."
ELECTION CAMPAIGN BEGINS
Tonight, the election campaign began in earnest with a
feel-good party political broadcast by the Ulster Unionists.
Party leader David Trimble took credit for the Republican
peace moves last week, and offered to continue working to end
the conflict. Stressing Britishness, the broadcast cited
'Saturday football', 'music', and 'fish and chips' as aspects
of British culture which were important to unionists.
Meanwhile, the nationalist SDLP has admitted it has recruited
strategists from the British Labour Party and the right wing
Progressive Democrats parties in the 26 Counties for its
Assembly election campaign.
Former Six-County agriculture minister Brid Rodgers has been
appointed as the party's director of elections.
The SDLP is due to preview its party election broadcast in
Belfast tomorrow. It has also set up a press centre in Belfast
city centre for the duration of the campaign.
Mrs Rodgers today said her party had been "galvanised" by
events in the peace process in recent weeks.
"We have a good press operation and there is a real desire out
there among our activists to fight our corner," she said.
"The handling of what was supposed to be a deal in recent days
shows why people need the SDLP there.
"People write the SDLP off at their peril in this election."
Sinn Fein's Philip McGuigan said the SDLP was panicking.
The North Antrim Assembly candidate said the appointments sent
out a message to the party`s supporters that 'we are in
difficulties and we don't have the people inside the SDLP to
help us'.
He many people will be asking what about after the election.
"If they don't trust people in the SDLP to drive an election
campaign, what confidence can people have in their leadership
after an election?"