ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY
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Mr Trimble: progress reliant
on decommissioning |
The Ulster Unionist Party leader Mr David Trimble said there would have to be a "serious movement" on the issue of decommissioning by Saturday week. He added that by "serious movement" he meant weapons actually handed in.
If this movement wasn't forthcoming, said the former First Minister, "then we move into a deeper crisis".
"In the absence of decommissioning there will be no progress and consequently no Ulster Unionist will be able to offer himself for election as first minister," he said.
The party's most outspoken opponent of the Agreement, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson said he was not prepared to give a knee-jerk response to the plan until he had fully scrutinised the document.
But he sent a clear warning that his party would seek to pull down the power-sharing structures if there was no substance on weapons.
He said: "If it does not contain clear proposals for decommissioning of illegal terrorist weapons and decommissioning doesn't occur there is not a snowball's chance of Unionists taking up the office of First Minister again.
"Indeed, if that's the case, I think we'll be looking at the withdrawal of the rest of our ministers from the Executive."
SDLP
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Mr Hume: "problems in
certain areas" |
Party leader Mr John Hume said his party would also study the proposals in depth.
"We have problems in certain areas and decommissioning is one of those. The document is dealing with the four areas we are having difficulty with. Naturally we hope the proposals will resolve the current issues".
In relation to the proposal to appoint an international judge to examine controversial killings - including the those of Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson and Robert Hamill, the SDLP chairman Mr Alex Attwood said, it should not be a substitute for a full public inquiry.
"The Ombudsman is using the full powers of her office to investigate these complaints and there may be further developments in her investigations.
"However, whatever transpires is not an alternative to a public inquiry which will ultimately be necessary to establish the full truth and maximise public confidence."
SINN FEIN
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Mr Adams: constructive frame of mind
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Party President Mr Gerry Adams insisted all the issues still to be resolved, including paramilitary weapons, were separate and must be resolved "in their own right".
The West Belfast MP declared his party would take a critical approach to the document but would retain a constructive frame of mind.
Pointing out that Sinn Fein would test the proposals against the Belfast Agreement he said: "In this Agreement these matters - that is policing, the political institutions, demilitarisation, the arms issue, human rights, the justice system and the equality agenda - are stand alone issues. These are issues to be resolved in their own right."
The republican party's ruling council will meet on Friday morning to examine the government's package, he said.
"Our approach will be to engage constructively to see if what is currently proposed has the potential to finally implement the Good Friday Agreement, as promised by the two governments," he said.
"That process requires the Government to provide and make public the details of what they are proposing."
DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY
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Dr Paisley: "Disastrous"
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The Rev Ian Paisley described the package as "disastrous" and called on Mr Trimble and his negotiating team to resign.
The DUP leader said: "He ought to hang his head in shame. This package of measures, if implemented, will strip Northern Ireland of its security apparatus at a time when the paramilitary organisations are on the increase.
"The insult to democratic process is that the people of Northern Ireland are expected to wait patiently on how the killers in the IRA respond to this paper. Why should the people of Northern Ireland be held to ransom by the whim of the IRA?"
PA