The Taoiseach expressed concern last night about Mr John Major's move to organise early elections in the North. Mr Bruton said elections could be divisive and deflect efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement.
"We must be conscious that while elections can confer democratic legitimacy they can accentuate divisions. Elections can polarise opinions and they can cause diversion away from points of agreement to points of disagreement
The end of February must remain the target date for the start of all party talks, he said. "Both the Irish and British governments must move forward in a determined way to fulfil our agreed firm aim of opening negotiations by the end of February."
All ideas and proposals, including the notion of an elected assembly, could be discussed during political contacts over the coming weeks, Mr Bruton said. But there were difficulties with the proposed elections as they did not command sufficient support at this stage.
"For an elected body to be useful, it would have to have wide spread acceptance. As of now, that condition has not been fulfilled. A significant element of nationalists have not yet indicated acceptance of the proposal."
The Taoiseach welcomed the overall thrust of the Mitchell report on decommissioning because he said it clarified some core questions. And he was deliberately careful to avoid criticism of Mr Major. "One should recognise that the British Prime Minister is trying to find a way through the impasse."
The coming weeks, he emphasised, would provide the opportunity for all parties to find an agreed basis for the opening of talks. Both governments were agreed that in the political track they would discuss all proposals, including that for an elected assembly.
"That is the way I believe to proceed at this stage. The political track, of course, is not concluded." The remaining weeks, he said, could produce a formula that would enable both sides to attend talks, but the February target date was still the agreed aim of both governments. "Any proposals which might be made must be considered within the context of that timeframe."