An Phoblacht/Republican News, April 20, 2004
Flash:
IMC report leads to sanctions, talks cancellation
British Direct Ruler Paul Murphy has ordered a cut in state
funding for Sinn Fein and the Progressive Unionist Party
following the publication today of the report by the
International Monitoring Commission.
In its first report, the IMC -- a new body set up for the purpose
by the two governments -- called for financial sanctions to be
imposed on the parties, accusing them of being linked to active
paramilitary organisations in the North of Ireland.
On the alleged kidnapping of republican dissident Bobby Tohill,
the IMC declared that this was an operation "planned and
undertaken by the Provisional IRA", although this had been denied
by the IRA leadership.
The report lists a dozen murders carried out by loyalist
paramilitaries since the beginning of last year, five of them by
the UDA. Most are drug related or a product of internal
feuding, but include the sectarian killing of Lisburn Catholic
James McMahon.
Republicans view the IMC as little more than a tool of the two
governments, set up outside the terms of the 1998 Goood Friday
Agreement in order to undermine that agreement.
As the political atmosphere soured in advance of today's
publication, It was announced last night that intensive talks in
London aimed at restoring momentum to the peace process have been
cancelled.
Paul Murphy told the British parliament today that the penalties
have yet to be finalised, and Sinn Fein and the PUP have until
next Tuesday to appeal his order cutting their block grant.
He declared: "I am persuaded that it would be right to remove for
a period the entitlement to the block financial assistance paid
to Assembly parties in respect of both Sinn Fein and the
Progressive Unionist Party."
On the basis of their participation in the Assembly, some 120,000
pounds is paid by the British exchequer annually to Sinn Fein,
while 27,000 pounds is given to the smaller PUP.
Murphy also said it was possible that the salaries of Assembly
members could be cut if further reports by the IMC were equally
negative, and that the parties could also be excluded from any
restored Executive.
The Dublin government said it accepted the "disturbing"
conclusions of the report that senior members of Sinn Fein are
operating at the highest echelons of the IRA and that the IRA
remains involved in "paramilitary and criminal activity".
In a statement, it said: "The transition to exclusively
democratic means must be completed. We want this to happen once
and for all, and as soon as possible.
The Ulster Unionist Party leader, David Trimble, suggested action
on prisoner releases would be better than proposed financial
penalties directed at the political parties. The SDLP described
the proposed fines as "petty cash" to Sinn Fein and a "risible"
punishment.
Sinn Fein Assembly member for West Belfast Bairbre de Brun said
that her party 'did not accept the IMC and would politically
fight the governments on this report and the sanctions it
imposes'.
She said: "It is complete nonsense that a so called independent
body confirms what he PSNI [police] are saying on the basis of a
briefing from the PSNI.
"The IMC has no credibility with the broad nationalist
electorate. It is a disgrace that the Irish government has
signed up to the establishment of this body in the first place.
"There is of course nothing in the report of the IMC about the
role of the British government in collusion, the continuing
suspension of the political institutions or the continuing
failure to demilitarise or deliver on policing, justice and human
rights commitments."
SInn Fein has vowed to fight the sanction at technical, legal,
and political levels.
Party chairman Mitchel McLaughlin said Sinn Fein was a party
which had been censored for 25 years.
"It didn't stop our politics and if the British government are
foolish enough to think that by imposing financial penalties -
and they are really imposing those financial penalties on our
constituency in terms of the service they are entitled to - then
Sinn Fein will defeat that as we defeated the policies of
exclusion and censorship."
The attempt to use the artificial mechanism of the IMC would not
succeed any more than previous attempts to exclude Sinn Fein, he
said.
Today's IMC report comes as three days of proximity talks,
planned for London next week, involving all the Six Counties
parties and British and Irish officials were postponed.
It is unclear if the talks will proceed before the European
elections in June.
Republicans have accused the British government of acting
deceptively over the talks. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said
the talks cancellation was "unacceptable" and was "an example of
the ad hoc and almost casual attitude of London and Dublin
towards the process."
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