The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, has repeated his party's opposition to an internal settlement in Northern Ireland and said he will "pursue vigorously" the principles of equality of treatment and opportunity, and parity of esteem. In an article in Saturday's Irish News setting out the SDLP's approach to negotiations, Mr Hume said there was a need to assure unionists of "our full commitment to their civil and religious rights". They would also have to be persuaded of the need for their participation in building an Irish society "based on equality and reconciliation which accommodates both traditions".
However, he said there could be no solution based on unionist domination and there would have to be "appropriate expression of the differing political allegiances". This would include the issue of oaths, flags and emblems. Mr Hume singled out Irish language and culture and said the prisoners issue was "of particular importance" and should be resolved "with urgency".
Ruling out an internal settlement, the SDLP leader said new structures were needed and he endorsed the three-stranded approach: "The engagement of broader constitutional negotiations must in effect amount to a completely new agreement involving all relationships."
Mr Hume said it was a matter of deep regret that commitments given in the Downing Street Declaration "were not acted upon by the last British government".
He said the delay in beginning the talks and "the tactical obstruction of these talks" had served to undermine the credibility of the process in the public mind.