UUP seeks clarification at resumed North forum on status of absent SDLP

THE Northern Ireland Forum resumed yesterday in the absence of the SDLP, with the unionist parties pushing through the establishment of sub committees on health and agriculture.

An Alliance Party proposal to convert the committees to the issues of community relations and the economy instead was rejected.

The SDLP was criticised inside and outside the Forum for its formal resignation from the body. The UUP sought clarification from the chairman on the legal status of the party's resignation but the DUP went further, suggesting that if the SDLP delegation had in fact resigned, the party could legally be removed from the peace talks as well.

The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, cast doubt on the SDLP's move and accused the party of political dishonesty.

"They're conning the nationalist people into thinking they've resigned, when they've done nothing of the sort. They have temporarily withdrawn from the forum and I hope they'll return."

In the absence of the SDLP, there was a suggestion that the Alliance Party's representation on each of the subcommittees be increased from one to two. Mr Robinson objected, saying that this proposal for the Alliance to become "surrogates of the SDLP" would leave its delegates grossly over represented on committees compared with the larger parties.

A compromise proposal was agreed, increasing the AP representation to two, but also increasing the larger parties' shares - including the SDLP should it return to the body - to four.

The Alliance Party opposed the establishment of the committees on health and agriculture, arguing that the business committee meeting which had proposed them had been called without proper notice.

An Alliance spokesman said the issues of community relations and the economy were more urgent and relevant to the work of a peace forum, and such committees would better attract external submissions, according to the model of the Forum in Dublin Castle.

But the party was accused by the DUP's Mr Ian Paisley Jnr of trying "to force us to revisit last week's business" when the Alliance was absent after unsuccessfully seeking an adjournment in the wake of Drumcree.

In a special summer recess debate, during which delegates could raise matters of their choice, there were calls for an end to the Republic's ban on cattle imports from Northern Ireland and for a curb on "Southern fishing boats" taking salmon in Northern waters.

In the same debate, the Rev Ian Paisley reiterated his party's position that there would be no progress on Strands one, two or three of the talks until there had been "action" on decommissioning.