MOVES to agree a new set of procedures for the multi party talks at Stormont suffered a setback yesterday when a dispute arose over the role of the Irish and British governments in the process.
Agreement had been very close on procedures for the talks, particularly the role and powers of the chairman, Mr George Mitchell.
When a point of procedure was raised by the deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Mr Peter Robinson, the North's Political Development Minister, Mr Michael Ancram, told him that this was covered by the April 16th Ground Rules document for the talks.
Mr Ancram further suggested that the Ground Rules should operate in parallel with the new procedures. He proposed that the new procedures should include a clause recognising this. Observers differed as to whether Mr Ancram's remarks were inadvertent or deliberate.
Mr Ancram's comments "opened up a can of worms", according to one observer. The Ulster Unionist Party proposed that aspects of the Ground Rules be incorporated into the new procedures but that material reflecting the aspirations and desires of the two governments should have no special status in the talks.
The precise legal standing of the Ground Rules document was also in dispute, with the UUP maintaining that it was no more than a position paper from the two governments and was not binding on other participants.
But the Irish Government and the SDLP took an opposing view to the effect that the document was in fact legally binding. Irish Government sources said that both Dublin and London were reluctant to "let the Ground Rules go".
The dispute dominated the day's proceedings. Four Cabinet Ministers Mr Dick Spring, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, Mrs Nora Owen and Mr Mervyn Taylor as well as the Minister of State at the Department of Finance Mr Hugh Coveney, had arrived for the plenary session at noon but because of the dispute this session lasted only three minutes.
There was severe criticism of the UUP from its unionist rivals the DUP and the UK Unionist Party. The DUP accused the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, of forming an axis with Mr Spring.
Mr Trimble accused his unionist critics of "begrudgery". He said that the new rules of procedure incorporated "significant, changes" from what had been proposed originally by the two governments.
The UUP approach to changing the procedures for the talks has been based on giving as much control as possible to the Business Committee, chaired by Gen John de Chastelain, which is composed of representatives of the different parties and has a coordinating, role in the talks.
Mr Robert McCartney, leader of the UK Unionists, told reporters that the Irish Attorney General, Mr Dermot Gleeson, and the SDLP MP, Mr Seamus Matlon, had stated "in no uncertain terms" that nothing would be changed in the Ground Rules.
Speaking at the conclusion of the talks last night, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, said "Progress is slow, but progress, I believe, is being made."
Sources said it had been agreed among the participants to complete discussions on the procedures and the agenda before returning to the issue of the status of the Ground Rules. This means that an obstacle to the progress of the talks has been put to one side, but not yet overcome.