Details on arms must be divulged

The situation in the North is much too serious to allow the current uncertainty to drag on.

All agree that there is very little difference between Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionist Party. Everything seemed to be carefully choreographed on Tuesday for a spectacular announcement.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair set the date for Assembly elections in the North, and Gerry Adams issued a statement emphasising that Sinn Féin was committed to pursing its goals by “exclusively democratic and peaceful means” with the aim of achieving “full and final closure of the conflict.”

He also stated that his colleagues “are opposed to the use or threat of force for any political purpose.”

The IRA then issued a statement that his announcement accurately reflected the IRA’s position.

Those announcements were of enormous significance, especially when backed up by the further decommissioning of weapons, which was witnessed by General John de Chastelain. He was then to confirm this with a statement.

The whole thing seemed to be falling into place, and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Mr Blair went to Hillsborough Castle to give their blessing to the whole process. But then things went awry.

In one sense, the biggest surprise was that people were surprised that there was a complication. John de Chastelain’s statement was much too weak for David Trimble and Ulster Unionists, who have been adamant all along in calling for transparency on the decommissioning issue.

“If people knew the information we have been told,” Mr Blair said, “they would be satisfied.”

Therein lies the problem. General de Chastelain is bound by a confidentiality agreement not to disclose publicly the details of the weapons decommissioned. Some way must be found to divulge this information, not just in the interest of the peace process but also in the interest of democracy itself.

Mr Adams has stated that Sinn Féin is committed to “exclusively democratic” means, and this is an issue on which he can demonstrate that commitment.

Informing the electorate is a vital and necessary element of democracy. For Sinn Féin, or the IRA, to waive confidentiality in this instance would be a clear and positive demonstration of their democratic commitment.

In all of this, the SDLP has been rather unfairly sidelined, and people should not lose sight of the fact that it has behaved democratically throughout the Troubles. The party deserves enormous credit for the way in which it has stood aside in the national interest, and Sinn Féin should recognise this.

One of the more hopeful developments in recent months has been the civility that has developed between the unionist and Sinn Féin leaders.

Even in the midst of this week’s fiasco there was little of the traditional acrimony, except for the usual baying in the wings from the opponents of the Good Friday Agreement. It is they who pose the greatest threat to progress.

Sinn Féin has come a long way in a comparatively short time, and it took another major step this week in decommissioning further weapons. In the perverse politics of Northern Ireland, however, it seems in this instance that words are more important than actions.