'Sinn Féin has run out of excuses'

Republicans were today accused of being responsible for almost all of the problems encountered by the Good Friday Agreement.

Senior Ulster Unionist Dermot Nesbitt claimed the failure of Sinn Féin and the IRA to realise that paramilitary groups must disappear had caused the crisis in the political process in Northern Ireland.

The former Stormont environment minister told the Parnell Summer School in Co Wicklow: “The unfortunate side-show that some in my party seem determined on continuing cannot mask some simple facts.

“Firstly that the difficulty that the Agreement is in is almost entirely due to the behaviour of the paramilitaries in general and republicans in particular.

“In April and May we saw the republican movement unable to say clearly what their position was.

“No matter how often Mr (Gerry) Adams tried to twist and stretch the language he still failed abysmally to give a commitment for an end to paramilitary activity and to state, in layman’s terms, that the IRA was going away for good.

“Let me spell it out for the republican movement. That is what the Agreement is all about.

“This is what people voted for. When the Agreement refers exclusively about peaceful and democratic means, that means an end to paramilitarism.

“This is an inevitable consequence of the Agreement and it won’t go away, no matter how hard Mr Adams and Mr (Martin) McGuinness may wish it to.”

Mr Nesbitt was commenting amid speculation that proposals for a cease-fire monitoring body in Northern Ireland could be altered to allay unionist concerns about the Government’s rule in it.

Nationalist politicians have reacted angrily to reports that a sub-committee could be formed dealing with internal affairs affecting Northern Ireland, sidelining the Government nominee on the body scrutinising the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

A bitter feud has in recent months erupted within the Ulster Unionist Party over the monitoring group proposal.

Three Ulster Unionist MPs – Jeffrey Donaldson, David Burnside and the Rev. Martin Smyth – have resigned as party whip at Westminster because the UUP has failed to publicly reject the proposals.

The row escalated when supporters of UUP leader David Trimble initiated disciplinary proceedings in the party against the rebel MPs.

Party officers are currently seeking legal advice on whether an emergency meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council will go ahead to debate the split in the party.

Devolution in Northern Ireland was suspended last October following the discovery of an alleged IRA spy ring at the heart of the British government.

Efforts to restore the power sharing executive and the Stormont Assembly has so far failed.

Assembly elections scheduled for May 29 were cancelled by British Prime Minister Tony Blair four days into the campaign after republicans failed to come up with a sufficiently clear form of words declaring an end to all paramilitary activity.

Mr Nesbitt today told the Parnell Summer School that Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and the IRA had “prevaricated and dithered long enough” on the question of the IRA’s future.

“They have run out of excuses,” the former South Down Assembly member claimed.

“The extraordinary patience shown by the people of Northern Ireland is growing thin. Republicans must act and act now.

“Yes, we have had a good summer but anyway forward now requires acts of completion by paramilitarism.

“As President (George W.) Bush and Prime Ministers Blair and (Bertie) Ahern stated: ’Paramilitary activity must cease, its capability must end and this must be complete and irrevocable’.

“It is the provisional movement which is standing in the dock, having destroyed the trust of others and it is in no position to lecture unionists on what we should be doing.”