Paisley condemns ‘surrender to IRA’
DUP leader Ian Paisley has condemned the government’s normalisation programme for Northern Ireland as a “surrender to the IRA”.
He said he was “appalled” at yesterday’s announcement that the two-year process of reverting to conventional policing would begin almost immediately, and has called for a meeting with the prime minister to air his grievances “face to face”.
Mr Paisley also threatened to exercise a veto on returning devolved power to the province, saying his party alone would decide when it would return to the table with Sinn Fein.
Unionists have expressed scepticism at the IRA statement on giving up arms last Thursday, warning that its order to members to renounce the armed struggle and embrace the political process had to be seen to be believed.
“Only last week the government indicated that words were not enough and that only actions would be satisfactory from the IRA. However, yet again we see the government prepared to take republicans at their word,” Mr Paisley told journalists last night.
He accused Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain, who he is meeting for talks tomorrow, of failing to take into account the new political situation in Northern Ireland.
When the joint declaration on the normalisation process was agreed in 2003, it involved talks with the UUP and Sinn Fein. Now, however, the DUP has replaced the UUP as the main unionist party in Northern Ireland – and they have different views.
“This bilateral agreement between the government and the IRA will have serious consequences for the political process,” said Mr Paisley, who as leader of the party with the most seats would become first minister if devolved power returned to Northern Ireland.
“The secretary of state may believe that today’s statement will bring forward devolution, but the reality is that it will delay its return.”
He said that of all the parties in Northern Ireland, “the DUP needs devolution the least”, and warned he would not be dictated to as to when a return to devolution would begin.
“We alone will dictate when, if ever, we enter discussions with Sinn Fein and we alone will dictate when, if ever, and in what circumstances, we enter an administration with Sinn Fein. There is a price which we are not prepared to pay for the return of devolution,” he said.
