February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
This is a significant climb-down from the two governments’ previous position that they hoped for a breakthrough, not just talks on a breakthrough, in time for the June elections. London and Dublin merely said this week that “more work was required,” an obvious reference to the report issued by the Independent Monitoring Commission that recommended fines be levied against Sinn Fein and a small Unionist party in response to continued paramilitary activity.
Previously, it had been planned that three days of proximity talks involving the main Northern Ireland parties would be hosted by the British and Irish prime ministers at Lancaster House in London.
The move was met with dismay by Sinn Fein.
“It is simply not good enough for the two governments to unilaterally cancel expected talks in London next week,” the party’s president, Gerry Adams, said. “The announcement is an example of the ad hoc, and almost casual attitude of London and Dublin toward the process. This is unacceptable.”
None of the political parties had expected a breakthrough at the London talks, which were due to follow the publication of the IMC report.
Before the announcement came postponing the talks, Sinn Fein had pledged to resist any move to impose financial sanctions on its 24 assembly members. Alex Maskey described as “ridiculous” suggestions that the British government should deduct Assembly salaries from Sinn Fein and the loyalist PUP over allegations of IRA and UVF activity.
The IMC was set up last year after Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble, had demanded the two governments monitor the paramilitary ceasefires. Its members are all former security or establishment officials. They include the former Northern Ireland Assembly speaker, John Alderdice; ex-London Metropolitan Police anti-terrorist squad chief John Grieve; retired Irish Justice Department head Joe Brosnan, and Richard Kerr, who was the deputy director of the CIA.
“We do not recognise [the IMC] and I have told its members that at a recent meeting,” Maskey said. “It was established outside the terms of the Good Friday agreement as a lifeline to [Ulster Unionist leader] David Trimble and is being used purely for political reasons.”
“Sinn Fein does not accept the validity of financial penalties or any other sanction on us or anyone else for something somebody else may or may not have done.”
The cancellation of the London talks came as the DUP was hardening its position. Its European election candidate, Jim Allister, warned republicans and nationalists not to “squander” the party’s proposals.
” Unionists are not going back to the absurdity of terrorist apologists at the heart of government while their terror machine remains primed and ready for action,” he said. “Nationalists must face up to the need for radical change. It would be a grave miscalculation for nationalism to think more is attainable. More could very quickly turn to less. We are a firmly devolutionist party but not at any price.”