IRA must give up arms before talks - Paisley

THE Rev Ian Paisley has warned that a formula which allows Sinn Fein to enter all party talks without decommissioning of IRA arms would be totally unacceptable.

As the International Body on Decommissioning yesterday and Irish governments with copies of its report, the DUP leader was protesting that it was "ludicrous" for the Taoiseach and other southern politicians to demand that all parties accept the body's recommendations.

"It is outrageous and ludicrous for Dublin politicians and in particular John Bruton to demand that people should accept whatever George Mitchell and his international body come up with on Wednesday," he said yesterday.

Dr Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party refused to make a submission to the body.

The Mitchell commission will hold a press conference in Belfast tomorrow at 10 a.m. to present its report, which will be released at the same time by the British and Irish governments in London and Dublin.

The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, last night again urged the creation of an elected body in Northern Ireland.

Speaking in Co Tyrone he challenged the leaders of Northern nationalism to justify their "foolish opposition" to the proposal, and accused the SDLP of underwriting Sinn Fein obduracy by supporting its opposition to the proposal.

Meanwhile, Republican Sinn Fein has stated that any proposal by the Mitchell commission that would confirm the "unionist veto" on political progress must be resisted. Equally, a proposal for a new elected assembly must also be rejected, the party said in a statement.

The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), political wing of the INLA which has been observing an undeclared" ceasefire, warned that after the commission's report is published people in Ireland will find themselves back at "square minus one".