Tough talks ahead predict Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin has predicted that the next two months will see an intense level of multi-party talks aimed at breaking the current impasse in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Speaking after talks with Prime MinisterTony Blair at Downing Street, the party’s leader Gerry Adams called on the British government to produce a plan for the implementation of outstanding parts of the Good Friday Agreement – which he indicated could create the context for movement from republican groups.

According to reports, a 'skeletal' format which addresses the issues of IRA disbandment, equality and policing is currently being devised. However Mr Adams stressed this was only the start of negotiations and many details still needed to be worked out.

“There is not a full implementation plan on the table at this time, but bear in mind that this is actually the beginning of these negotiations, not the end,” he said.

The institutions at Stormont were suspended last October over allegations of IRA activity at the heart of Stormont.

Sinn Féin’s chief negotiator Martin McGuinness added: “I would caution that the political process is entering a critical time ahead of the assembly elections in May and urge all parties to move forward together. The elections must go ahead, any suspension would effectively be a suspension of the democratic process and would be very damaging indeed.”

Sinn Féin’s comments follow fresh on the heels of a New Year’s message from the IRA, which lays the blame for the current crisis in the peace process firmly at the feet of the "British military establishment, its intelligence agencies and from the loyalist murder gangs”.

However UUP leader and former first minister David Trimble described the statement as the “work of people living in an unreal world”.

“Gun-running from Florida, and maladroit adventurism in Colombia, Castlereagh and ‘Stormontgate’ were the work of the IRA,” he said.

“Responsibility for this crisis rests squarely on their shoulders. It was their recklessness that precipitated all of this, and it is up to them to sort it out.”

However yesterday Mr Adams rejected the idea that he should approach the IRA to seek fresh gestures in a bid to get the process back on track.

“If the British government honours the commitment Mr Blair made last October and puts together a context, then of course that changes the situation and all of us would be challenged then to enter into that new context,” he said.

(AMcE)