RTE News has learned from reliable unionist sources details of what they understand to be the proposals aimed at breaking the deadlock in the peace process. The proposals elaborate on reports of the plan published in the Sunday Tribune and the Scottish based Sunday Herald today regarding the actual terms of the deal on offer to the northern parties. RTE news has learned from authoritative unionist sources that the new Northern Ireland executive is to be formed in the next two weeks provided the deal receives the endorsement of all the pro-agreement parties.
In line with this historic event, the Republican movement would publicly announce that they are committed to an unbreakable peace. Sinn Féin negotiator Martin McGuinness would then cease to be the main contact from the republican side with the decomissioning body and would be replaced by a senior IRA figure. At this point the head of the decommissioning body, General John de Chastelain, would then be able to report that the process of decommissioning had started as defined by his own rules and outlined in June of this year.
Full decommissioning would still have to be completed by the end of May next year, while the Unionist party would be able to suspend the executive if no firm product, that is, guns, arms or explosives were handed over by the end of this year. The deal would also allow the North-South bodies together with all other institutions envisaged in the Good Friday agreement to proceed without delay.
