Elections to proceed without power deal
The plug was effectively pulled last night on negotiations to repair the peace deal which fell apart in the fiasco at Hillsborough Castle when David Trimble sought specific details on the IRA’s latest act of decommissioning.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are expected to make statements on the troubled process this morning and confirm that negotiations have been parked until after the Assembly elections on November 26.
After a weekend of intense activity, hopes faded of a breakthrough when Irish and British Government officials headed home in the knowledge that they were not going to get anywhere in the negotiations, despite their best efforts.
Yesterday evening the Ulster Unionist leader conceded that an agreement is now unlikely this side of polling day.
According to Mr Trimble, the speech by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was very important and very significant, but they had not had the transparency necessary to complete the deal.
Mr Adams speech was very positive, as it said in effect that the war was over and the conflict would be pursued in a peaceful manner, he said.
However, what they did not have was a sense that things were coming to an end or to a completion and it was unlikely that this could be achieved in the days ahead given the inexorable onset of the assembly election on 26 November, Mr Trimble said.
According to Government sources, Mr Ahern and Mr Blair are waiting for Mr Adams to accept that the stalemate cannot be broken, before writing off the present round of talks.
Meanwhile Mr Adams denied yesterday that there was any attempt by republicans to influence the funeral of Jean McConville, who’s body was recently found 30 years after she was murdered by the IRA.
Over the weekend it was reported that republicans did not want Ms McConville’s funeral to travel through West Belfast as it would reflect poorly upon Sinn Féin ahead of the elections.
According to Jean McConville’s daughter, Helen McKendry, her brothers are being pressurised by the IRA to hold a private funeral for their mother.
Responding to allegations that there was pressure on the McConville family, Mr Adams says he has no knowledge of any IRA pressure, and that it is the family’s decision where the funeral will take place.
“It was my expectation that this funeral was going to come up the Falls Road and no one here would even dare to think of stopping that, because this is a very sad part of our history, most traumatic for the family.
“Republican efforts, having accepted responsibility for the injustice visited upon the family, is to attempt to bring closure,” he said.
