Sir, - I refer to Vincent Browne's article (May 6th), in which he states "Nowhere is there a coupling of decommissioning with eligibility for inclusion in the new executive."
The Agreement requires all members of the executive to affirm a Pledge of Office which includes "To pledge commitment to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means." The Agreement also provides that "Those who hold office should use only democratic, non-violent means, and those who do not should be excluded or removed from office under these provisions." The Agreement further provides that: "In this transitional period, those members of the Assembly serving as shadow Ministers shall affirm their commitment to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means and their opposition to any use or threat of force by others for any political purpose; to work in good faith to bring the new arrangements into being; and to observe the spirit of the Pledge of Office applying to appointed Ministers."
There is also a section of the Agreement devoted to decommissioning. Paragraph 3 of the section reads: "All participants accordingly reaffirm their commitment to the total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations. They also confirm their intention to continue to work constructively and in good faith with the Independent Commission, and to use any influence they may have, to achieve the decommissioning of all paramilitary arms within two years following endorsement in referendums North and South of the Agreement and in the context of the implementation of the overall settlement." - Yours, etc., Dr Tom Hannigan,
Carpenterstown Road, Castleknock, Dublin 15.