FF and coalition clash on plan to suspend forum

THE Government Is proposing to opened meetings of the Forum For Peace and Reconciliation For at least four week hot Fianna Fail…

THE Government Is proposing to opened meetings of the Forum For Peace and Reconciliation For at least four week hot Fianna Fail has told the chairwoman, Judge Catherine McGuinness, that it is "essential" that the forum continues. The next meeting is due on Friday.

Cabinet ministers frequently meet senior Sinn Fein members at the weekly forum sessions in Dublin Castle. Such contacts would now breach the Government's ban on further meetings with Sinn Fein at political level.

A Government spokesman would not confirm that the Government is seeking a suspension of the forum meetings but said that there are now difficult about it. The Taoiseach was have discussions with party "The forum was called after the ceasefire but the ceasefire no longer operates," a spokesman said. He pointed out that the forum obliges political parties tending to be committed to peaceful methods.

The co ordinator of the Fianna Fail delegation at the forum, Mr Noel Dempsey, said that in a meeting with Judge McGuinness he put to her that his party wanted the forum to continue, "at least for the moment at a time when dialogue is most badly needed".

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A spokesman for the Alliance party said that it has asked for "an emergency session" of the forum next Friday to "discuss the current situation". He could not see how there could be a "normal" session in view of the Government's decision to suspend meetings with Sinn Fein.

He did not see how Sinn Fein could be part of the forum in the "post ceasefire situation". "New ground rules" were now required.

The Progressive Democrat coordinator at the Forum, Senator John Dardis, said that a four week suspension, has been proposed. The parliamentary party would be discussing the situation today but he thought it would be difficult for the PDs to have meaningful talks in the forum as long as the ceasefire had broken down.

On Friday, the forum is due to discuss the report of the drafting committee on Paths to a Political Settlement. All the parties at the forum agreed to the report except Sinn Fein, which could not accept the wording of the so called consent principle.

Further meetings of the forum have already been arranged until the end of March, including a possible one in Belfast for later this month.