ULSTER Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, said yesterday the decommissioning of weapons at the same time as talks could be acceptable, but added that the quality and not the length of any future IRA ceasefire would be a defining issue for the entry of Sinn Fein into talks.
Mr Trimble said he is willing to accept decommissioning carried out strictly in parallel with talks. Speaking after meeting British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, he denied there had been any change in the position of his party.
He explained that while the UUP had supported the British government's position on prior decommissioning before January 25th. 1996, when that government moved its position towards recommendations in the Mitchell Report on parallel decommissioning, the party had agreed.
"Our concern is that decommissioning is actually simultaneous, and that is what parallel decommissioning means - not before, not at the end, but during and alongside," Mr Trimble said.
"Our concern in all of these discussions will be to ensure that there is the appropriate mechanisms that will deliver actual decommissioning alongside talks." Regarding Unionist opinion that there should be some arms decommissioned before all-party talks, Mr Trimble said it was a two-stage process. "There is the entry into talks, which is then followed by the entry into substantive negotiations. Our view is that there has to be substantial decommissioning of weapons immediately after entry into talks, and that is before entry into substantive negotiations.
Asked how long the period would be between talks and substantive negotiations, Mr Trimble said "That depends. Obviously we would not tolerate a situation where there was delay in that matter. But we have set out the position that there has to be decommissioning and one has to prove that one has ended violence.
"I think you start off with the requirement that there be a clear and unequivocal ending of violence and then the purpose of decommissioning is to prove that the ending of violence is genuine and if it is genuine then decommissioning shouldn't be a problem.
"Indeed, people should be happy to start this process as soon as possible," Mr Trimble said. He added that it was not helpful to specify a period of time.
"What is important is not the period of time but the quality of the ceasefire. If there is a genuine ending of violence, a complete and permanent end of violence with everyone being assured that the war was over and the war machine was being wound down and that was done in a way that carried conviction to people then you wouldn't need to wait, not even six weeks.
"On the other hand, if you get an equivocal ceasefire which doesn't carry conviction, that people feel is not genuine and that is the probability, then it doesn't matter how long the period is. We would not be satisfied," Mr Trimble said.
He said he was waiting to see what actually is said, and added that his party would not be committing itself to the two governments' paper until it was studied in depth.