30.10.04
Irish Independent
Both governments prepare to pull plug on DUP
THE Irish and British governments will pull the plug on efforts to create a power-sharing executive in the North unless the DUP agrees to it within the next month, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned last night.
In his most forthright comments yet on the stalled process, following discussions in Rome with Britain's Tony Blair, he said the two governments would work together in partnership.
The move to re-impose direct rule would trigger the nuclear option in the talks which the British government has so far refused to introduce as a threat to unionists.
But Mr Ahern was at pains to praise the efforts of DUP leader Ian Paisley, whom he said was "constructive" and "very helpful" and said there were still problems with Sinn Fein too.
Analysing the internal struggle within the DUP, he said it was now going through the same process as both Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists had already faced in confronting difficult compromises.
Some members of the DUP wanted a deal now, some wanted it before the British election and some never wanted a deal, he said.
"We still have to get agreement, obviously you're not going to get 100pc from either of them, so both of them have to give.
"At this stage we're having more problems with the DUP," he admitted.
"Our perspective is that the Good Friday agreement is an indispensable reality," said Mr Ahern, arguing there would be no return to majoritarianism, a repeated concern of Sinn Fein, which would see unionists imposing a veto.
The North-South mechanisms within the peace process need strength and they're "not going to be diluted for anyone", he said.
"I don't think it's going to be after the election. It's not going to work. That's not my view or Tony Blair's view," he said.
Mr Blair left the signing ceremony for the EU's Constitutional Treaty in Rome early and did not speak to the media. The Taoiseach commented that Mr Blair was 'tired'.
"If we can't complete this phase, then we'll go for another phase, but it will be on the basis of partnership, there won't be any divergence," he said.
But Mr Ahern declined to elaborate on the precise route the two governments would take.
"We've a number of options, a number of scenarios that we'll decide on. We'll press on," he said.
Conor Sweeney
(in Rome)
Both governments prepare to pull plug on DUP
THE Irish and British governments will pull the plug on efforts to create a power-sharing executive in the North unless the DUP agrees to it within the next month, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned last night.
In his most forthright comments yet on the stalled process, following discussions in Rome with Britain's Tony Blair, he said the two governments would work together in partnership.
The move to re-impose direct rule would trigger the nuclear option in the talks which the British government has so far refused to introduce as a threat to unionists.
But Mr Ahern was at pains to praise the efforts of DUP leader Ian Paisley, whom he said was "constructive" and "very helpful" and said there were still problems with Sinn Fein too.
Analysing the internal struggle within the DUP, he said it was now going through the same process as both Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists had already faced in confronting difficult compromises.
Some members of the DUP wanted a deal now, some wanted it before the British election and some never wanted a deal, he said.
"We still have to get agreement, obviously you're not going to get 100pc from either of them, so both of them have to give.
"At this stage we're having more problems with the DUP," he admitted.
"Our perspective is that the Good Friday agreement is an indispensable reality," said Mr Ahern, arguing there would be no return to majoritarianism, a repeated concern of Sinn Fein, which would see unionists imposing a veto.
The North-South mechanisms within the peace process need strength and they're "not going to be diluted for anyone", he said.
"I don't think it's going to be after the election. It's not going to work. That's not my view or Tony Blair's view," he said.
Mr Blair left the signing ceremony for the EU's Constitutional Treaty in Rome early and did not speak to the media. The Taoiseach commented that Mr Blair was 'tired'.
"If we can't complete this phase, then we'll go for another phase, but it will be on the basis of partnership, there won't be any divergence," he said.
But Mr Ahern declined to elaborate on the precise route the two governments would take.
"We've a number of options, a number of scenarios that we'll decide on. We'll press on," he said.
Conor Sweeney
(in Rome)
