IN a strong appeal for a fresh attempt to restart the Northern peace process, the former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, has called on the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, to take an initiative before the British general election.
Speaking on RTE's This Week radio programme yesterday, Mr Reynolds also said that he would have to wait for the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, to "spell out" how he intended to set up a special role for him in relation to the peace process. Mr Ahern has indicated that Mr Reynolds could have a special role on Northern Ireland in a future Fianna Fail administration.
Meanwhile, Mr Reynolds described as "an admission of failure" the three month break in the multi party Stormont talks to allow for the British general election. The suspension demonstrated that the governments had not been able to "get the talks to make progress". He also blamed the Irish and British governments for "wasting" the 18 month IRA ceasefire.
Decommissioning of paramilitary weaponry had been "tried on" by the British government and had been "too easily accepted" by Dublin. It had never been possible to achieve decommissioning on the basis suggested.
He had voiced his opposition to the idea to Mr Major when they met at Chequers and was subsequently surprised when it became such an issue. He knew that it would "destroy confidence and faith in the process".
"Everyone knows that decommissioning was the bugbear and the word that poisoned the relationship between all parties and caused the 18 month delay with no fixed date for talks", he added. Both governments had failed to keep the process "on the road" and, because it had never been fed by political activity, it had starved.
Calling on everyone with influence to strive for peace to be restored, Mr Reynolds ruled out an internal settlement in Northern Ireland. In order to rebuild confidence, he said, the British government should announce its intention to hold a fresh inquiry into Bloody Sunday and move on the prisoners issue. If a package was put on the table, they were entitled to expect a total and immediate IRA ceasefire in order to enable Sinn Fein to enter the talks.
The decision after the Canary Wharf bombing to begin a talks process had "handed" the republican leadership back to the hardline people and away from the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, and Mr Martin McGuinness. It was now possible, if the political vacuum continued, that a new leadership would emerge in Sinn Fein.