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13/08/2001
Political parties climb back into the Agreement arena
Following the suspension and then reinstatement of the Assembly on Monday, Sinn Féin has challenged the British government to act on their assurances to implement the Good Friday Agreement.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon August 13, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams asked the Secretary of State Dr John Reid to explain why he believes a political breakthrough is “tantalisingly close.”
He said the only way for Dr John Reid to prove this was to move on “honouring the British government’s commitments and implement the Agreement” and added: “I think the onus is on him now to prove that is the case.”
However, leading Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey said the blame for the current political impasse must be laid at the feet of the IRA because they had failed to disarm. He said: “General John de Chastelain has been sitting for over three years with absolutely nothing to do at all. And the reason for that is that people have not honoured their obligations. Nobody is asking people in the republican movement to do anything loyalist paramilitaries haven’t done.”
UUP colleague Billy Armstrong added, the only way Sinn Féin could prove the worth of their political mandate would be “to deliver on their illegally held weapons and explosives completely and verifiably.”
The SDLP’s Mark Durkan backed calls for the new police reform implementation plan to be published as quickly as possible. He said on Monday his party were keen to know all the facts about the plans for the criminal justice system and human rights.
Meanwhile, newly elected MP Iris Robinson from the Democratic Unionist Party said that she believed the British Government was planning to concede further ground to republicans. She said: “Concessions on policing and the criminal justice review, terrorist amnesties and demilitarisation will be brought forward soon in order to entice the IRA to give a token gesture on decommissioning.” (AMcE)
Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon August 13, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams asked the Secretary of State Dr John Reid to explain why he believes a political breakthrough is “tantalisingly close.”
He said the only way for Dr John Reid to prove this was to move on “honouring the British government’s commitments and implement the Agreement” and added: “I think the onus is on him now to prove that is the case.”
However, leading Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey said the blame for the current political impasse must be laid at the feet of the IRA because they had failed to disarm. He said: “General John de Chastelain has been sitting for over three years with absolutely nothing to do at all. And the reason for that is that people have not honoured their obligations. Nobody is asking people in the republican movement to do anything loyalist paramilitaries haven’t done.”
UUP colleague Billy Armstrong added, the only way Sinn Féin could prove the worth of their political mandate would be “to deliver on their illegally held weapons and explosives completely and verifiably.”
The SDLP’s Mark Durkan backed calls for the new police reform implementation plan to be published as quickly as possible. He said on Monday his party were keen to know all the facts about the plans for the criminal justice system and human rights.
Meanwhile, newly elected MP Iris Robinson from the Democratic Unionist Party said that she believed the British Government was planning to concede further ground to republicans. She said: “Concessions on policing and the criminal justice review, terrorist amnesties and demilitarisation will be brought forward soon in order to entice the IRA to give a token gesture on decommissioning.” (AMcE)
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