Trimble accused of worsening peace process crisis

Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble was accused by Sinn Fein today of deepening the crisis in the peace process by banning Martin McGuinness from a cross-border body meeting.

The Sinn Fein minister, who is in charge of education, had been scheduled to attend a North South Ministerial Council meeting on Friday.

However, Mr Trimble has once again refused to nominate Mr McGuinness to the meeting in protest at the IRA’s failure to decommission its weapons.

With the parties currently awaiting the outcome of a Belfast High Court appeal against a judicial ruling declaring the ban illegal, Mr McGuinness claimed the latest refusal to nominate him was ‘‘undemocratic and unlawful’’.

He argued: ‘‘It prevents us fulfilling our responsibilities as ministers, it obstructs progress on important health and education issues and it consequently affects all of the people of this island.

‘‘There is a political, democratic and legal imperative on David Trimble to lift his ban. The politics of threat, sanction and ultimatim are counterproductive.’’

The Stormont Education Minister, who would have met Dr Michael Woods on Friday, accused Mr Trimble of ‘‘attacking’’ the institutions set up under the Good Friday Agreement.

He suggested the First Minister should instead be ‘‘defending and protecting’’ those institutions against those determined to destroy the accord.

Mr Trimble has also threatened to step down as Northern Ireland First Minister on July 1 if there is no substantial movement on IRA disarmament.

With the parties and the British and Irish Governments still deadlocked on the issues of decommissioning, nationalist endorsement of policing reforms, demilitarisation and the operation of the institutions, republicans have come under pressure as the resignation date approaches for a move from the IRA on disarmament.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Stormont Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon both urged the IRA yesterday to empty its arms dumps.

Mr Ahern told the Dail: ‘‘Guns have been silent and the international inspections and contact with the de Chastelain Commission (on arms decommissioning) are all helpful.

‘‘But they are not enough - the reality is they are not enough.

‘‘As a person in the middle, I think if they (Sinn Fein) were to help on decommissioning, I could certainly help press the British government on demilitarisation.

‘‘It would strengthen my hand massively. And equally, it would on policing.’’

Mr Mallon also reminded the IRA and Irish people that ‘‘the holding of illegal weapons is contrary to the Irish Constitution and it is contrary to the sovereignty of the Irish people and indeed a threat to the Irish government’’.

The nationalist SDLP deputy leader said: ‘‘It is also contrary to the law in Ireland, both north and south. It is contrary to what people voted for in referenda north and south on the Good Friday Agreement and of course, it is contrary to the Good Friday Agreement.’’

Meanwhile Sinn Fein has called on the British Government to spell out clearly to the Northern Ireland parties what it intends to do to resolve the problems with the Good Friday Agreement.

As Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams flew to Washington to brief US politicians on the crisis in the peace process, party sources said they were disappointed at the failure of the Government to outline at talks on Monday what it was prepared to do about policing, demilitarisation and the full working of the institutions.

A Sinn Fein source said: ‘‘The British Prime Minister Tony Blair is the key to all of this.

‘‘If this is the crisis we all believe it to be, then it is not good enough for the British government 10 days ahead of a crisis created by one of the participants to fail to put on the table what they are prepared to do.’’

An Ulster Unionist Assembly member later claimed the criticism of the IRA by Taoiseach Mr Ahern and SDLP deputy leader Mr Mallon proved republicans had ‘‘completely lost the argument’’ over disarmament.

West Tyrone MLA Derek Hussey said he welcomed the ‘‘fact that Mr Ahern has ruled out timetables alone as being sufficient.

‘‘There is no room for ambiguity on this issue. We need real and verifiable action. Our patience has run out.

‘‘The Ulster Unionist Party has done absolutely everything in its power to make this process work.

‘‘We have taken risk after risk. There has been no recognisable reciprocation from the Republican Movement. They have failed to honour agreement after agreement.’’