Unionist Politics
by Feargal Cochrane
Cork University Press 2001
The deadlock over the reinstitution of the Executive was finally broken
in May when an agreement was brokered over the sequencing of IRA decommissioning,
together with a timetable for the return of the devolved powers revoked
in February. The careful choreography saw a statement from the British and
Irish governments on 5 May, an IRA statement declaring their intention to
begin the process of 'putting arms beyond use' on 6 May, and a decision
to return to government taken at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council
on 27 May. The Assembly met again on 5 June to pick up where it had left
off the previous February. Despite nationalist criticism of Peter Mandelson
for collapsing the structures of the Agreement in February at the behest
of the UUP, the practical benefits of this 'soft-crashing' were that the
powers revoked were just as quickly returned, with the minimum of procedural
fuss or delay. The crucial part of the joint statement from the British
and Irish governments issued on 5 May is the following: 3. The governments
now believe that the remaining steps necessary to secure full implementation
of the agreement can be achieved by June 2001, and commit themselves to
that goal. They have drawn up, and are communicating to the parties, an
account of these steps. 4. Subject to a positive response to this statement,
the British government will bring forward the necessary order to enable
the Assembly and Executive to be restored by May 22nd, 2000. 5. With confidence
that there are clear proposals for implementing all other aspects of the
agreement, the governments believe that paramilitary organisations must
now, for their part, urgently state that they will put their arms completely
and verifiably beyond use. Such statements would constitute a clear reduction
in the threat. In response, the British government would, subject to its
assessment of the level of threat at the time, on which it will continue
to consult regularly with the Irish Government, take further substantial
normalisation measures by June 2001. 46 In an immediate response to this
statement, the IRA released their most detailed account yet of its intentions
on decommissioning, stating that it would cooperate with the de Chastelain
Commission and put its weapons verifiably beyond use. In a statement issued
on Saturday 6 May, the IRA detailed its commitment, the crucial paragraphs
being the following: The leadership of the IRA is committed to a just and
lasting peace. . . . The maintenance of our cessation is our contribution
to the peace process and to the creation of a future in which the causes
of conflict are resolved by peaceful means. For our part, the IRA leadership
is committed to resolving the issue of arms. . . . In that context the IRA
leadership will initiate a process that will completely and verifiably put
IRA arms beyond use. We will do it in such a way as to avoid risk to the
public and misappropriation by others and ensure maximum public confidence.
We will resume contact with the Independent International Commission on
Decommissioning and enter into further discussions with the commission on
the basis of the IRA leadership's commitment to resolving the issue of arms.
We look to the two governments and especially the British government to
fulfil their commitments under the Good Friday agreement and the joint statement.
To facilitate the speedy and full implementation of the Good Friday agreement
and the government's measures, our arms are silent and secure. There is
no threat to the peace process from the IRA. In this context, the IRA leadership
has agreed to put in place within weeks a confidence-building measure to
confirm that our weapons remain secure. The contents of a number of our
arms dumps will be inspected by agreed third parties who will report that
they have done so to the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning.
The dumps will be re-inspected regularly to ensure that the weapons have
remained silent. 47 It was on the strength of this statement that David
Trimble went to the UUC meeting at the end of May seeking the agreement
of his party to re-enter government with Sinn Féin. |
