Declaration a charter for fools says Paisley
From NEWS LETTER April 2nd, 1999
DUP chief Ian Paisley yesterday labelled the Hillsborough declaration as
an "April Fool's Charter." He claimed UUP leader David Trimble had agreed
to the "inclusion of IRA/Sinn Féin in Government." He added: "No wise unionist would pin the hopes of their future on such a colossal fraud. It is a fudge
and a pause in the process. Clearly the 'Yes' parties have failed to agree
what they said yes to one year ago." Northern Ireland Unionist Party Assembly
member Cedric Wilson also accused Tony Blair of doing a "somersault". He
said the declaration represented a capitulation. "He has reneged on his solemn pledges to the Northern Ireland electorate. Those pledges secured both the referendum and Assembly votes upon which David Trimble's precarious position as Designated First Minister now rests." Roy Beggs Jnr, who had
threatened to desert the UUP Assembly party if his leader wavered on the
IRA disarmament issue, said he still had to make up his mind on the declaration.
He said: "While I welcome the fact that there would be a focus on Sinn Féin to deliver decommissioning there are other aspects in the declaration which need to be clarified before I make up my mind on it." SDLP leader John Hume welcomed the declaration and its proposal for a day of reconciliation. "I think that the idea of having a day of reconciliation is an outstanding idea where on that day guns will be put beyond use, demilitarisation will take place and there will also be major memorial ceremonies on behalf of all of the people of Northern Ireland." "I think that is an outstanding day that will bring all of our people together in a way that has, perhaps, never been done before and will strengthen our peace process enormously," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Women's Coalition also welcomed the developments and
commended the crucial roles played by both Prime Ministers. She said: "The accommodation we have reached here signposts the future which the people of Northern Ireland so clearly voted for in the referendum last year." Meanwhile, Tory Northern Ireland spokesman Andrew Mackay said: "Let us hope this declaration will lead to real progress being made soon." "Good Friday was always an artificial and arbitrary deadline so the people of Northern Ireland who yearn for a permanent end to violence need not despair that the talks have been adjourned as the Agreement is still intact and it appears the ceasefires will hold."
Liberal Democrat spokesman Lembit Opik said: "Slow progress is better than no progress. It is obvious now that politicians on all sides feel the public pressure to deliver a lasting result." Families Acting For Innocent Relatives last night pledged to "vigorously oppose" the proposed Day of Reconciliation as a "non-starter" without a clear and unequivocal statement of remorse
from the IRA. He added: "Blair's statements about people like ourselves belonging to the past are disgraceful. Ironically he hit out at us who have suffered at the hands of the IRA while surrounded by people who condone murder. It was sheer hypocrisy." |
