PROPOSALS for the involvement of both former US Senator George Mitchell and Canada's Gen John de Chastelain in all party Northern Ireland talks on June 10th are being considered by the Irish and British governments.
Senator Mitchell, who presided over last year's investigation into arms decommissioning, is favoured by the Government to chair strand two of the talks process, dealing with North South relations. And, as & compromise aimed at placating unionist opinion, Gen de Chastelain has been suggested as chairman of a subcommittee which would deal with arms decommissioning in parallel with the talks process.
Agreement on the appointment of two former members of the Mitchell Commission has yet to be reached. The appointments are being considered as part of a wider package designed to encourage all political parties to participate in the talks, and to bring about a renewal of the IRA ceasefire. Senator Mitchell is a close political contact of President Clinton. And Gen de Chastelain is seen as being acceptable to the British government.
Talks between the two governments on the all party talks are said to be making reasonable progress". There was a "fair degree of optimism", one source said, and a determination to keep the talks going after June 10th.
Efforts to convince Sinn Fein, through official Government contacts, that real and substantive negotiations will be on offer on June 10th are continuing. Even if an IRA ceasefire is not in place by the election date of May 31st, representatives of the Sinn Fein candidates will be able to participate, at official level, in discussions designed to agree an agenda for the talks and the order in which matters will be discussed.
Last night, a former Northern Ireland Minister, Mr Michael Mates, said he would be prepared to meet Sinn Fein representatives again in spite of protests from unionist parties - if that would help the peace process. Mr Mates has held discussions with Sinn Fein on two occasions since the breakdown of the IRA ceasefire.
Concern that the talks process might stall on June 10th because of unionist demands on decommissioning, is being addressed through the proposal that Gen de Chastelain should have control of that process. Born a British subject, he served as a former chief of the defence staff of the Canadian armed forces and as ambassador to Washington, and is said to have impressed both republicans and loyalists during his involvement in the work of the Mitchell Commission.
His nomination as chairman of a new decommissioning body arose from criticism made of Senator Mitchell by the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr David Trimble, and by his deputy, Mr John Taylor, early this year. Originally, Senator Mitchell was favoured by the Government to take charge of both strand two and the decommissioning issue, under the ground rules document agreed with the British government.
Unionist concern over the decommissioning issue was raised at the weekend in a letter from Mr Trimble to the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton. The Ulster Unionist leader complained of an apparent reluctance by the Government to introduce legislation for the decommissioning of weapons before the talks begin on June 10th. This, he suggested, was a breach of undertakings given to him last March, on a visit to Dublin.
Government sources maintain that no specific assurances were given. The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, was, however, asked to examine the issue and to report to Cabinet. So far, she has not done so. Sources said the matter could be dealt with quickly when the necessity arose.
The Government is keenly aware that if decommissioning legislation was put in place it would underpin the unionist demand for immediate action on the arms issue. And it is determined that discussion on this matter should parallel political negotiations and not act as a stumbling block to them, as happened in the past.
A report in a Sunday newspaper that Fianna Fail was preparing, along with the SDLP and Sinn Fein, a statement of principles designed to rebuild the nationalist consensus and to "insist that the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, take on the role of leader of nationalist Ireland", was described as premature and inaccurate by a party spokesman.
Contact between the parties was at a "very preliminary stage", he said, and nothing might come of it at the end. Fianna Fail, he was trying to be as constructive and helpful as possible in reestablishing a ceasefire and in betting all parties to the talks. There was no question of "putting one over on Mr Bruton" by demanding that the Taoiseach behave in a certain way.