THE President, Mrs Robinson, yesterday met three senior South African politicians who are in Ireland this week to meet representatives of all parties, North and South. The group will also assess the current state of the peace process.
Their visit and packed schedule has been organised by Mr Tom Kitt, Fianna Fail TD, who is vice president of AWEPA (European Parliamentarians for Southern Africa) and had previously met the politicians on their home ground.
Mr Kilt is hopeful that despite the lack of a direct parallel between the situation here and in South Africa, the delegation will be able to bring a fresh view to the peace process and the current impasse.
Mr Kilt said members of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation would remember the words of Mr F.W. de Klerk, on his recent visit here, that the central issue in settlement situations was the establishment of trust.
He had said it was not until the disparate parties sat together around the table in South Africa that they began to form personal relationships with each other and to begin to trust each other.
The members of the delegation, which arrived yesterday, include Mr Sr Mac Maharaj (ANC), Minister for Transport; Mr Leon Wessels MP, (National Party) and deputy chairman of the Constitutional Assembly and Gen Constand Viljoen, leader of the Freedom Front.
Mr Wessels was the first person to apologise publicly for the apartheid system following the elections in South Africa, Mr Kilt added, while Mr Maharaj had been an underground activist who had spent 10 years in prison.
Tomorrow the delegation will meet the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, the leader of the PDs, Ms Mary Harney, and the leader of the SDLP, Mr John Hume.
In Belfast on Wednesday they will meet representatives of many parties, including Mr Robert McCartney (UK Unionist Party); Mr David Ervine (PUP); Dr John Alderdice, leader of the Alliance Party; Mr Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein; Ms Monica McWilliams (Northern Ireland Women's Coalition) and Mr Gary McMichael of the Ulster Democratic Party.
Meetings with senior members of the Democratic Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party are also planned.
Before they depart for London on Thursday the delegates will meet the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, representing the Government; the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, and the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howl in at Government Buildings.
Also that morning a forum and press conference chaired by John Bowman of RTE, will take place at the Glencree Reconciliation Centre in Co Wicklow.