US envoy in bid to boost peace process

President Bush’s special envoy Richard Haass was arriving in Northern Ireland today for a series of meetings with the political parties on the latest crisis in the peace process.

His discussions precede round table talks taking place at Stormont on Thursday as part of efforts to restore the power-sharing Assembly.

The two day visit is Mr Haass’s sixth to Northern Ireland and he is expected to also meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and Chief Constable Hugh Orde.

The Ulster Unionist delegation due to meet Mr Haass will include former ministers Reg Empey and Michael McGimpsey and MPs Jeffrey Donaldson and Lady Sylvia Hermon.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr McGimpsey blamed republicans for bringing the process to its knees and again called on the Government to exclude them.

“The process should have dealt with republicans but once again resolution was lacking in some quarters and the innocent have been punished along with the guilty.

“The only remedy is to exclude Sinn Fein and then lift suspension.”

The institutions were suspended last month following the discovery of an alleged IRA spy ring at the heart of the Northern Ireland Office.

Unionists have refused to return to government with Sinn Fein until the IRA has disbanded.

Ahead of Thursday’s multi-party talks at Parliament Buildings, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams warned the Government against attempts to re-negotiate the Good Friday Agreement.

He said his party would be seeking to persuade the British government to fully implement all aspects of the Agreement.

“The UUP clearly have a veto over the institutions as any majority party would have.

“But they cannot be allowed to have a veto also over what are very basic and modest entitlements for citizens,” he said.

Thursday’s talks, which will be co-chaired by Mr Murphy and Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen, will include two delegates from each party plus a notetaker.

Ian Paisley’s hardline Democratic Unionists have refused to attend.