THE multi party talks at Stormont effectively remain on hold as politicians await a response from Mr John Major to the Hume Adams proposals aimed at creating inclusive negotiations and another IRA ceasefire.
As former US senator Mr George Mitchell returned to chair the talks at Castle Buildings yesterday, the political climate was one of uncertainty and conflicting opinions over whether there will be a renewed IRA ceasefire.
Mr Mitchell was in the chair for barely two hours when delegates, in the face of DUP and UK Unionist opposition, decided to adjourn a plenary talks session - the first held in several weeks - until tomorrow.
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader, Mr David Trimble, said the Hume Adams initiative aimed at creating all party talks and a renewed cessation of IRA violence was "casting a shadow" over the talks.
He said that until Mr Major delivered his response to the Hume Adams proposals there could be no movement on decommissioning. He said he suspected that Mr Major might try to "fudge" his response.
"If the shadow cast by the attempt to resuscitate Hume Adams were removed then I would see an agreement coming on the mechanics of decommissioning sooner than you might appreciate," Mr Trimble added.
Mr Trimble's party sidestepped attempts by the DUP and the UK Unionist Party to force a decision on decommissioning.
The UUP joined with the SDLP and other parties in adjourning yesterday's round table talks until tomorrow rather than adopt a motion tabled by Mr Robert McCartney, and supported by the DUP, which demanded significant prior decommissioning from the paramilitary groupings before their political representatives could engage in substantive talks.
The Rev Ian Paisley, who released a 17 point party paper on decommissioning yesterday, described as despicable the "failure" of the UUP to support the DUP and Mr McCartney's UK Unionist Party.
Dr Paisley warned that the DUP would walk out of the talks if Mr Major tried to bring in Sinn Fein. Equally, in such an eventuality, the DUP's three MPs would do all in their power to bring down the Conservative government.
Mr McCartney said the adjournment was designed to stall the talks. "They want to mark time while John Major, John Hume and Gerry Adams sort out the real issue," he added.
The UUP described Mr McCartney's motion as a "stunt". Mr Reg Empey, a member of the UUP talks team, said the adoption of the motion would have precipitated the collapse of the talks, with unionists being blamed for the collapse.
While there was considerable political posturing and manoeuvring yesterday, there was no movement. Politics effectively is in a state of suspended animation as Mr Major's response to the Hume Adams initiative is awaited.
A spokesman for Mr Hume last night said that so far no reply had been forthcoming from Downing Street.
The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said yesterday the opportunity existed for a renewed IRA ceasefire. He urged unionists to deal with Sinn Fein if the IRA declared an unequivocal ceasefire.
The confusion over the prospects of a positive response from Mr Major and of a subsequent IRA ceasefire were characterised by headlines in the North's two morning newspapers yesterday.
The unionist News Letter predicted "PM Ready to Cave In", while the nationalist Irish News forecast "Downing Street Rejects Plan for IRA Ceasefire".
Sinn Fein's Northern chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, speculated that Mr Major will reject the Hume Adams proposals which seek Sinn Fein's speedy entry to all party talks in the event of an IRA ceasefire.
"I am very much afraid that the length of time that John Major has had this proposition sitting on his desk would indicate that in fact the Irish News headline is the most accurate reflection of the realities," he said.
But, he indicated, if the response were positive Sinn Fein would accept the outcome of all party talks. "We will enter these negotiations in good faith. We will respect any agreement to which we are party. That is a basic democratic principle." And he warned that the British government must not "shift the goalposts again".
The SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, said that if there was to be a lasting peace Sinn Fein would have to be in the political process. If the IRA called a new ceasefire Sinn Fein should be given the right of entry to the political process given to other parties.
"John Hume and the SDLP are working very closely to bring about lasting peace. One of the factors in the creation of lasting peace is that Sinn Fein come into the political process. Once they are in the political process the real negotiations start," he said.
"To get Sinn Fein into the negotiations is to create a peaceful democratic background in which those negotiations can take place. Who could dispute or argue against that?" Mr Mallon added.
