Ulster may have its Assembly by May 22

By Thomas Abraham

LONDON, MAY. 6. The British and Irish Governments have announced a breakthrough in their efforts to resolve the crisis over the Northern Ireland peace agreement and have set a new deadline for the Irish Republican Army (IRA) to disarm.

After talks with his Irish counterpart, the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, said the two Governments intended to restore the Assembly in Northern Ireland by May 22 if there was a positive reponse from the province's political parties and the paramilitaries. The peace process has been in a stalemate since the beginning of this year when the British Government suspended the Stormont Executive in response to a threat from the main Protestant party, the Ulster Unionists, to walk out of the Government if the IRA did not lay down its arms. The suspension of the Government, in turn, infuriated the IRA and its political wing Sinn Fein.

Mr. Blair and his Irish counterpart, Mr. Bertie Ahern, have pushed back till June 2001 the deadline of May 22 for the IRA and other paramilitaries to disarm. Also, in a concession to the IRA, the disarmament has been linked with the reduction of British forces in Northern Ireland. Both the Prime Ministers said it was now up to the IRA and the major parties to respond to these proposals. In particular, the IRA should give a clear commitment that it would lay down its weapons.

A joint statement by the British and Irish Governments called on the IRA and other armed groups to ``urgently state clearly that they will put their arms completely and clearly beyond use.'' Until now the IRA has never stated in so many words that it will disarm. It has, however, said so indirectly, by expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement.

The Irish Taoiseach, Mr. Ahern, expressed confidence that the IRA would respond positively. ``I will be disappointed if the response from the paramilitaries is not extremely positive,'' he said. The Sinn Fein leader, Mr. Gerry Adams' initial response was positive. ``I think it is a very decisive moment, the two Governments have agreed to re-establish the institutions and have set out the mechanisms and the steps necessary for full implementation of many of the outstanding aspects of the (peace) accord.''

Mr. John Hume, the leader of the SDLP, the largest Catholic party, welcomed the two Governments' decision to restore the Assembly and set a deadline for the implementation of all the elements of the peace agreement. The Ulster Unionists, led by Mr. David Trimble, were, however, silent on the proposals. The Unionists have demanded that the IRA should begin to lay down its weapons or at least unveil a clear time-table for arms decommissioning. Until such time, they have said they will not sit in government with Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing. Mr. Trimble, who was challenged for the party leadership by a hardline anti-peace agreement opponent two months ago, may find it difficult to persuade his party to budge from its current stand.

Both Governments appear confident that the IRA can be persuaded to provide a clear indication that it intends to lay down its weapons. The British Government is expected to meet IRA demands for troop reductions and take steps to reform the police force in Northern Ireland in exchange for IRA decommissioning.

One of the key demands that Sinn Fein has made is a reform of Northern Ireland's police force, the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The RUC is a largely Protestant force and the Catholics tend to see it as partisan. A government commission has suggested whole- scale reforms to the service, including changing its name. The Unionists and other Protestant parties are, however, completely opposed to any changes to the force.

IRA ready to disarm?

Reuters reports from Belfast:

The IRA announced today that it was ready to start a process that would put its weapons in Northern Ireland beyond use, the BBC reported.

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