There is still no sign of a breakthrough in the Northern peace talks and a long night of negotiations is expected. The Ulster Unionist deputy leader John Taylor has said that there would be no advance in the absence of any IRA weapons handover. However, a short time ago the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Liz O’Donnell, said that some progress has been made. The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister are still engaged in an intensive round of talks with the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and Sinn Féin.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has told the Dáil that he cannot see Tony Blair staying in the North beyond tomorrow because of his involvement with the Balkans. David Andrews said that he would like to think the business would be done by then. At Stormont earlier, they had a round of meetings with the smaller parties, the Garvaghy Road Residents Association and with residents of the Lower Ormeau Road in Belfast. They also met Paul Nelson whose wife, Rosemary, was killed by a Loyalist car bomb two weeks ago. During a news conference afterwards, the Garvaghy Road spokesman, Brendan MacCionnath, was heckled by anti-agreement unionists, including the Co Armagh Orange Grand Master, Dennis Watson.
Efforts are continuing at Stormont to end the impasse over decommissioning. Tony Blair said that he would not stop or rest until this thing is done. He also said that after talking to the parties, he believed that we could get there. Mr. Ahern said that there had been too much movement to think about going back or giving up.
The discussions are likely to continue late into the night. The negotiations have entered their last crucial phase before the weekend deadline. Speaking this morning, the Ulster Unionist negotiator, Sir Reg Empey, said that today would be a crucial day and that if no progress were made the process would be in considerable difficulty. Sinn Féin’s Chief Negotiator, Martin McGuinness, predicted a long day of discussions possibly lasting through the night.
The Northern Secretary, Dr. Mo Mowlam has indicated that she would like to begin the process of nominating an executive tomorrow or Thursday. Sources in Mr. Blair's office have indicated that the Prime Minister would like to return to London as soon as possible because of the Kosovo crisis. Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair held separate discussions with delegations from the main parties at Hillsborough Castle in County Down last night. As the leaders left the talks at around midnight last night they were giving nothing away.
Mr. Ahern warned, however, that while both leaders were there to assist in so far as they could, they could not negotiate for the parties. Unionist party leader David Trimble repeated his warning that no sensible coherent business could be undertaken by any new Executive until the IRA had begun to disarm. Mr Blair and Mr Ahern will meet a delegation from the Gervaghy Road Residents Coalition and the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community today at Stormont at 12.45 pm.
The SDLP's Seamus Mallon said that the issue of the peace stood on its merits and could not be allowed to fail on this issue. And the Sinn Fein leader repeated that the Good Friday agreement did not say that guns would have had to handed over. However, Gerry Adams did say said that there was still room for manoeuver.
