The Hindu : Irish peace process back on rails

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003

International

International

Irish peace process back on rails

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON OCT 21. The year-long political deadlock in Northern Ireland ended today amid a flurry of carefully-choreographed initiatives from all sides — the British Government, the IRA, and the mainstream Republicans and Unionists — with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, travelling to Belfast to `bless' a deal that should see the peace process back on rails.

This was Mr. Blair's first outing since he was treated for heart problem on Sunday, and highlighted the significance of the event.

The Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, who worked closely with Mr. Blair to push the peace process forward, joined him.

The core elements of the breakthrough, hailed as very significant since the Good Friday agreement five years ago, included an announcement by the British Government to revive the provincial assembly; a statement from the IRA agreeing to move further on the vexed issue of arms decommissioning; and a call by the Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams, to take the "gun out of politics''.

If all goes well, elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly would be held on November 26 paving the way for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Sinn Fein to return to a power-sharing government which collapsed last October after allegations of spying against the IRA.

More importantly, the IRA would go further than it has done so far in demonstrating its commitment to give up violence for good.

In a statement today, the IRA said it had authorised a "process to put (its) arms beyond use'' at the earliest which, observers hoped, would lead to total decommissioning.

The head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, General John de Chastelain, was reported to be involved in the discussions.

Decommissioning has been a major stumbling block in the peace process with hardline Unionists insisting that there can be no progress unless the IRA was completely shut down. The IRA's statement fell short of expectations that it might announce an end to the `war', but Mr. Adams' remarks that he wanted guns to be taken out of politics were seen as a positive development.

Mr. Adams said today that the Good Friday agreement was the "only way forward'' and called upon all paramilitary groups to give up violence.

He stressed the Republicans' `commitment' to the peace process and a "democratic harmonious'' future.

"I call upon all armed groups to join us and build a future based on justice and peace,'' he said.

Though he suggested that the way the Good Friday agreement had been implemented had not been fair to the Republicans his conciliatory tone was widely welcomed on a day of widespread optimism.

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