Sinn Fein welcomes Paisley’s gambit
The Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams, last night welcomed the commitment by Reverend Ian Paisley, the fiery Democratic Unionist Party leader, to hold talks with the Irish Taoiseach.
The historic get together – the first official meeting in seven years between Mr Paisley and Bertie Ahern – is expected to occur at the Irish Embassy in London next Thursday.
Mr Adams said it signalled significant progress on finding shared ground.
Hitherto, the DUP has refused to talk with the Irish government and Gerry Adams, given the perceived close political relationship of Sinn Fein with the IRA.
The DUP said it will participate in the review of the Good Friday Agreement on February 3 but has made plain it wants a radical overhaul of the 1998 peace accord.
But the West Belfast MP said the DUP, for its own part, had much to do to fully back the peace process.
“I very much welcome any meeting or talks between the DUP and the Taoiseach.
“It is not that long ago since the DUP was holding demonstrations against Irish government involvement in this process.
“The difference now is a change in style by the DUP. They still remain against power-sharing, Good Friday Agreement and the type of equality and human rights ethos we require.
“It is good this meeting is taking place but the DUP still have a lot more to do.”
But Mr Adams urged the DUP to modify its apparently recalcitrant stance on the Good Friday Agreement and weapons decommissioning.
The Sinn Fein leader said London and Dublin must both abide with the 1998 accord.
“There still has to be movement on a range of commitments made particularly by the British Government but also the Irish on human rights, equality, policing, demilitarisation.
“We made this point to Mr Reiss and to all those on Capitol Hill that we have met and we have found that Irish America is very focused on that even during this presidential election year.
“The two governments have to make it clear to the DUP that those are rights and they cannot be withheld and that is a job for Mr Blair and the Taoiseach.”
But DUP MLA for North Antrim, Ian Paisley Jnr, said that comments by Irish Justice Minister, Michael McDowell validated the DUP’s position that Sinn Fein/IRA was still immersed in “terrorist and criminal activity and therefore unfit for government.”
Mr Paisley welcomed Mr McDowell’s statement that there was “no Chinese walls between IRA money and Sinn Fein money.”
“We have for some considerable time said that Sinn Fein and the IRA were single and indivisible, he said.
“The DUP is not demanding anything more from Sinn Fein/IRA than the British or Irish governments. No democrat can be forced to accept armed and active terrorists in their government. All we ask is that the same standards that apply in Dublin, where Sinn Fein are not welcome in the government, should apply in Belfast.”
