Irish and British government proposals to break the deadlock in the Northern Ireland peace process are near completion, political sources said today.
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Mr Ahern and Mr Blair at Weston
Park earlier this month |
It is understood "some fine-tuning" is still going on to the package of proposals being prepared under the guidance ofthe Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Prime Minister Blair. The document is thought likely be put to the parties later this week, probably Friday.
The package will seek to address unionist, nationalist and republican concerns on the issues of paramilitary decommissioning, the scaling down of army operations and fortifications, police reform and other outstanding aspects of the Belfast Agreement.
However, the proposals will be rejected by unionists if they do not address the decommissioning issue properly, Ulster Unionist Minister Sir Reg Empey warned today.
He said the issue of paramilitary weapons needed to be addressed properly if the package of proposals to deliver stable government to Northern Ireland was to secure his party's support.
"We remain committed to making the Agreement work but we cannot carry the burden alone, " Sir Reg said.
"We are not prepared to allow Sinn Fein to continue as Executive ministers while the IRA continues to break its public promise to decommission its weaponry," he continued.
British and Irish sources said the largest section of the package is devoted to policing, with the governments keen to persuade the SDLP and Sinn Féin to endorse the new service.
It is understood they have considered:
- Positive discrimination in favour of gardaí seeking positions innew Police Service of Northern Ireland.
- The downsizing of the Special Branch.
The phasing out of the RUC's full- and part-time reserve with a possible target date.
- The closure of Gough Barracks anti-terrorist detention centre as soon as there is an alternative.
- A procedure to address the issue of ex-paramilitary prisoners on boards designed to liaise with police at a local level.
- Increased powers for the Police Ombudsman and the politically appointed Police Board designed to hold the new police service accountable.
- The setting of a minimum requirement on the number of votes on the board required to hold inquiries into police actions - moving away from the idea of a simple majority.
- The appointment of an international judge to decide whether inquiries should be held into a number of controversial killings.
The package is expected to outline "further steps" on demilitarisation and offer indemnity to loyalist and republican prisoners "on the run" for crimes committed before the Belfast Agreement.
On the arms issue, the document will stress the need for further movement on IRA and loyalist disarmament in the context of all outstanding aspects of the Belfast Agreement moving in tandem.
PA