SF still leaving door open on new political initiative

TENUOUS hopes remain that something may still be salvaged from the latest political initiative aimed at securing a renewed IRA…

TENUOUS hopes remain that something may still be salvaged from the latest political initiative aimed at securing a renewed IRA ceasefire, as reports circulated in the North of continuing behind the scenes contacts. Sinn Fein refrained from issuing recriminatory statements, and a senior party official, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, noted that there were indications that the British rejection of the proposition advanced by the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, and the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, might not be absolute.

He said: "There was a degree of ambiguity in the Downing Street statement which we want to study - and we want to seek further clarification. The question, I think, is whether the policy position is that which was enunciated on February 22nd by both the Irish and British governments or if, in fact, the recent comments by John Major and Patrick Mayhew indicate that the policy has changed and that they have introduced new barriers to Sinn Fein's participation."

Mr McLaughlin's reference is believed to relate to the Anglo Irish communique of February 28th, which declared that Sinn Fein's entry to negotiations would require "total and absolute commitment to the principles of democracy and non violence set out in the report of the International Body (the Mitchell Report)".

The communique enjoined all parties wishing to take part in negotiations to address all the confidence building measures - including proposals on an approach to decommissioning - contained in the Mitchell report.

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Significantly, it also placed an obligation on unionist parties to provide reassurance - to Sinn Fein and other parties joining the process - "that a meaningful and inclusive process of negotiations, is genuinely being offered to address the legitimate concerns of their traditions and the need for new political arrangements with which all can identify".

The UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, yesterday asserted that the new Hume Adams initiative had been "largely a distraction" and "merely a tactical device to distract attention from the serious business in the inter party talks". If Sinn Fein were seeking admission to the talks, with no commitment to peace and no decommissioning, then it was simply unachievable, he declared.

Mr Trimble said there was "a very clear responsibility on Mr Hume and Mr [Dick] Spring - who appear to be party to this issue - and indeed on Mr Major, to put these matters clearly into the public domain".