In a statement released in the aftermath of Trimble stopping short of doing just that, Sen. Chris Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat, said he wanted to see assembly elections go ahead on Nov. 26 despite the latest hitch in the peace process.
“It is with great regret that it now appears that the leader of the Ulster
Unionist Party may not be prepared to embrace these positive developments. I urge him to reconsider,” Dodd said.
“In any event, the people of Northern Ireland deserve and should have elections as scheduled,” Dodd said while adding that the elections were “a critical stepping stone” to getting the peace process back on track.
“I urge all of the parties of Northern Ireland to embrace these positive developments and work toward the holding of credible elections and the standing up of the Northern Ireland Assembly so that the people of Northern Ireland can be governed by leaders of their choice.”
Dodd said he commended Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams “for his tireless efforts to finally remove the bullet and the bomb from Irish politics and for the IRA’s timely and concrete demonstration of its decision to once and for all renounce violence as a means of redressing past grievances.”
Dodd also praised Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair despite the obvious consternation of both leaders after the breakdown of what had been touted as a highly choreographed sequence of events.
“In the midst of so much bad news, it is refreshing to see [Blair and Ahern] remain dedicated to the pursuit of peaceful resolutions of political conflicts,” Dodd said.
Rep. Richard Neal said that he was delighted that despite the latest problems the two prime ministers had kept the election date in place.
“That’s essential,” Neal said.
Neal, a Massachusetts Democrat who is co-chair of the congressional Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs, said that Tuesday’s events would serve to reinforce the suspicion among nationalists that the goal posts would always be moved.
Rep. Peter King, also a co-chair of the committee, said that his understanding had been that the widely expected deal to get the peace process back on a firm track had been agreed to in advance and was to be outlined in a carefully choreographed sequence of events Tuesday.
“It’s hard to believe that something was missed,” the New York Republican said.
Speaking hours before he traveled to Iraq as part of a congressional delegation, King said that he had heard Monday that Trimble had been showing signs of getting nervous after the expected deal had taken final shape.
King said that he agreed with Dodd’s view that Trimble should reconsider his rejection of the latest decommissioning move by the IRA and proceed to elections.
Fr. Sean McManus of the Washington, D.C.-based Irish National Caucus said that despite the latest setback, he was still happy to see that a date for elections in the North had been set.
McManus added that regardless of what difficulties had arisen Tuesday, he was urging republican dissidents to embrace the peace process.
“I appeal to all of them to rethink their position, to accept the IRA ceasefire and embrace the peace process,” he said. “Irish-Americans will not support your divisive splits or your continuation of violence.”