All sides prepare for fresh talks
The Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended today as the Governments prepared for a new round of intensive negotiations to try to end the deadlock threatening the future of the peace process.
Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid announced the move at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, after consultations with Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Republic’s Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
But the institutions are expected to be up and running again at some stage on Sunday.
The Governments were forced to act following David Trimble’s resignation as First Minister in protest at the IRA’s failure to disarm and the refusal by the three main pro-Agreement parties to endorse a package of Irish and British proposals aimed at resolving the critical issues of policing, demilitarisation and decommissioning.
Sinn Fein bitterly attacked the decision, and unionists warned they expected the IRA to have started to empty their secret arms dumps by the time the new talks process ends in six weeks’ time.
Dr Reid said significant progress had been made, and rather than plunge Northern Ireland into another election, he believed more time was needed for the sides to reach agreement. The potential was there to achieve that.
He said: "It is because of that potential - and the fact that we are, I believe, tantalisingly close to being in a different world here in Northern Ireland - that I believe parties should be given more time."
The Northern Secretary, who is to have talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen tomorrow to review the crisis, expects devolution to be restored before the weekend is out.
Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement he had to act.
It is the second time the Assembly has been suspended because of Ulster Unionist protest action at republican resistance to disarm.
It was put on hold for three months in February last year, but the belief in Dublin and London is that this suspension, while regrettable, will be so brief that it will not disrupt a process already in serious trouble.
There is a fear among some senior civil servants, however, that it could again provoke the IRA leadership who pulled out of talks with General John de Chastelain’s decommissioning body the last time the power-sharing executive and institutions were put on hold.
The Provisionals have agreed a scheme with the General to put their weapons completely and verifiably beyond use.
Alex Maskey, a Sinn Fein member of the Assembly, said tonight: "I can’t speak for the IRA, but the republican and nationalist community will be very angry with this suspension. This is a very negative message."
With Mr Trimble leaving today for a fortnight’s holiday in Austria, several other senior representatives on all sides are expected to take a break as well and it could be early in September before the negotiations get under way again.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is on holiday in Mexico, said he hoped more progress could be made.
He added: "When we have come so far, I think most people would agree with both Governments that we should allow the parties more time to try to bridge the remaining gaps."
