Ahern/Blair give NI parties 4 days to make deal

[mrgorth]

>PREMIERS GIVE PARTIES 4 DAYS TO CONCLUDE DEAL
>12/03/04 15:35 EST
>
>The Irish premier and the British Prime Minister have given
>the peace process four days to reach a breakthrough.
>
>
>Bertie Ahern, speaking at a celebration to mark his 10th
>anniversary as leader of Fianna Fail, said ongoing
>negotiations had been an "exhaustive effort" but that the
>work was now done and decisions had to be made by the
>parties involved.
>
>
>"Tony Blair and myself have to call it, to be precise, in
>four days", he said.
>
>
>Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, and DUP leader the
>Reverend Ian Paisley have been engaged in intense talks in
>recent days as the bid to restore power-sharing institutions
>in the North moved towards an historic breakthrough.
>
>
>Earlier tonight, Mr Paisley said he was prepared to do a
>deal with republicans provided they "cease to be
>terrorists". Mr Paisley, speaking after a meeting with Chief
>Constable Hugh Orde at police headquarters, said the onus
>was not on his party to decide whether to accept the latest
>plans from the two governments to restore devolution.
>
>
>He is under pressure to make a definitive response when he
>meets British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Downing Street on
>Monday.
>
>
>But he said it was up to Sinn Féin to decide whether they
>would accept the proposals put forward by the two governments.
>
>
>"This is not negotiations with Sinn Fein. It's an ultimatum
>to Sinn Fein. Are you going to continue to be terrorists or
>are you going to quit your terrorist path," he said.
>
>
>Earlier this week, Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams,
>complained bitterly when the DUP leader said the IRA would
>have to wear "sack cloth and ashes" to atone for a 30-year
>paramilitary campaign by the IRA.
>
>
>Mr Paisley said: "I will have to do a good deal of
>swallowing. I will have to do a good deal of biting my lip
>in future days. But I'm prepared to do that provided they
>cease to be terrorists."
>
>
>Sinn Fein vice president Mr Pat Doherty said the process of
>negotiation could not last forever. The West Tyrone MP said:
>"Despite our obvious scepticism about the DUP's approach,
>and particularly our scepticism about their willingness to
>buy into the core principles of the Good Friday Agreement,
>Sinn Fein approached all of these discussions positively.
>We have spent months in detailed and thorough-going
>discussions with the two governments across all of the
>issues. I think we have all been patient over the past
>months. But this phase of discussions cannot be drawn out
>interminably."
>
>
>"A comprehensive deal is possible. But it can only be done
>on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement. The DUP must move
>away from the failed approaches of the past. The days of
>second-class citizenship, domination and humiliation are
>over. The British Prime Minister has a particular
>responsibility to impress this on the DUP leader," Mr.
>Doherty said.
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[muriel_volestrangler]

1. who knows how this will turn out?

As this commentary piece said yesterday: "Reports call a peace deal between the great enemies 'tantalisingly close', which is Northern Irish for perilously uncertain."

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1366745,00.html