No show for unionists at talks

Inter-party talks aimed at restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland have gone ahead at Stormont without the input of the Ulster Unionist Party or the Democratic Unionists.

UUP party leader David Trimble said they wouldn’t be participating in today’s talks because those taking part would simply be skirting around the issues that really mattered.

The Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen are chairing the talks which does include members from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Alliance and the Women’s Coalition.

Today’s roundtable talks will reportedly cover the issues of paramilitarism, policing, justice and republican demands to clear the south Armagh countryside of military watchtowers.

Speaking earlier this week Paul Murphy said: “These talks are important. Parties should take the opportunity to talk with each other and with the two governments, about the issues that we all know have to be resolved.”

The Progressive Unionist Party withdrew from talks two weeks ago because they felt that Prime Minister Tony Blair and Sinn Féin were operating on the sidelines and trying to strike a secret deal behind closed doors.

Alliance leader David Ford said ahead of today’s meeting that the talks at Stormont would have to deal with more than just the issue of decommissioning.

Instead Mr Ford said the need to improve community relations across a range of areas must be speedily addressed.

"Nearly five years after the Good Friday Agreement, a fundamental question remains for this society – are we going to attempt merely to manage the divisions in Northern Ireland or are we going to actively seek to build a united community, respecting diversity and treating all citizens equally?

"It is time to put all aspects of a divided society behind us once and for all. To insist that we build on the foundations of the Agreement to establish a truly shared future,” he said.

Meanwhile it has been confirmed that Tony Blair and the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern are to hold talks with the parties of Northern Ireland in the province on February 12. The two premiers will set out their views on the condition of the peace process and on how to move forward towards the restoration of the suspended Northern Irish institutions.

(AMcE)