No Sign of Compromise in Northern Ireland Talks

17/09/2004| IslamWeb

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern are facing an uphill struggle in forging agreement between Northern Ireland's political leaders. They have portrayed the negotiations as a last chance to save the Good Friday peace agreement upon which Northern Ireland's devolved parliament is founded. But the assembly has been suspended for two years because of disputes between the local parties, primarily over the disarmament of the IRA. Ian Paisley, head of the main pro-British party, the DUP, has ruled out talks with the leader of the IRA's political allies, Sinn Fein. "Gerry Adams can talk waffle until the cows come home. I'm not talking to Gerry Adams, I'm talking to the British prime minister and I have to get the British prime minister to keep his promises," he said. Adam's party, Sinn Fein, wants cast iron guarantees of long-term power-sharing from the Unionists and commitments of troop withdrawals from the British government. "I want to do business with Ian Paisley. We would be quite pleased to vote for Ian Paisley as first minister but in the context of the Good Friday Agreement," Adams said. Analysts doubt the discussions in England will yield a dramatic breakthrough but some believe progress on several issues could be made. **PHOTO CAPTION*** British Prime Minister Tony Blair. (AP)