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THERE WILL BE no all-party talks in Belfast today on the contentious parades and flags issues but some meetings will take place between various individuals.
Former US diplomat Richard Haass, who is mediating the process, has set a recommencement time for the plenary of 6am Monday. There will then be six hours of talks before the deadline for an agreement is hit.
He has said that the current differences between the party are “difficult but not intractable”.
Talks finished up at 7.15pm yesterday and asked whether this was the final effort in the process, Haass said that the time had come to “fish or cut bait”.
Haass and Harvard Professor Meghan O’Sullivan were asked to lead the discussions as the ministerial executive in Northern Ireland want all parties to strike a deal on how and when parades are conducted, as well as when flags are flown.
They both returned to Belfast yesterday for the final round of talks. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said it would be a “terrible embarrassment” for politicians in Stormont if the pair left without an agreement.
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How about they make a deal when all the mad religious bigots are at church on Sunday?
People who do not wish to transact business or take part in political talks or play sport on a Sunday are not necessarily bigots. They are simply Christian people with strong religious beliefs who wish to keep the Christian Sabbath holy in same way Jewish people with strong religious beliefs wish to keep their Sabbath holy. Anyone who wants peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland should understand and accept this. All sides need to understand and respect each others’ traditions and beliefs.
Many Orange Order men in Belfast would be still high or drunk on Sunday morning, rubbing their neighbours face in the dirt has become their defining belief and the corner stone of their politics and identity. Now that they can’t do that legally anymore they are having a political version of a mental break down.
If allowing former Police and British army intelligence officers to be compelled to co operate in truth is not acceptable to unionists and is a red line issue then the whole idea of a truth process is finished unfortunately
Will their opposites participate as well? Will the political representatives of terrorist organisations participate in a truth and reconciliation process?
Same point, just as valid.
Or seeing 4/5ths want to remain in the UK do we just draw a line and move on?
There is No opposition from Republicans or Nationalists Parties on the paper reported and they just as validly as you say would view there opposites as the spokespeople for British terrorists who are holding up the process, unionists are not even in a majority in Belfast anymore deal with it Bernard
Eamon you haven’t addressed the issue and are letting emotion get the better of you. What “British terrorists”? The IRA? The INLA? They were Irish but also British Citizens. Or you mean the UVF?
More likely you mean the security forces tasked with addressing terrorism and crime. Sometimes to fight fire, you’re forced to use fire. Unfortunately innocent people get hurt on both sides. Do you just want a unilateral process that just investigates the State’s involvement, and exclude other’s participation? That’s what it sounds like and that’s unacceptable by any reasonable standard. All or none.
The majority want peace. Deal with that.
Far from it Bernard if you read my reply you would maybe have seen that it said there was no problem with Nationalist/Republicans compelling Participants in the conflict call them what you like to participate in a truth process but the facts are that the british terrorists Mi5 british army Sas Udr Ruc Uff etc etc etc ill call them what I like are being held back by unionists into admitting there many crimes that republicans fought to prevent .
“Republicans fought to prevent”?
You seem to like a paradigm that somehow terrorists & enemies of both the UK & Irish States were the “good guys” and security & intelligence services were the “bad guys”? If there were no terrorism, there would be no need for the security forces (or British Terrorists as you call them). A point exemplified by the wishes of dissidents who long for their return. Legitimate abuses of use of force are investigated. I’ld welcome the involvement of McGuinness, Adams et al and others involvement in Birmingham, Omagh.
As you profess, can only work if everyone airs their dirty laundry.
Peace out.
Both states were set up by terrorism and the threat of terrorism with one maintained by sectarianism also, as I said all truth’s of the past should be supported with facts 40 years this May of covering up the Dublin Monaghan bombings by the Irish state and Britain should be ended and the truth of all british agents working within Irish politics etc should be exposed as should Republicans who worked for the Irish cause within British politics the unionists in all of Ireland and Britain need to move on with all of us in Peace
“If there were no terrorism, there would be no need for the security forces.”
@ Bernard: Perhaps you should go read a history book. The British army was first deployed to belfast during the troubles to protect the catholic communities from the protestants who had started attacking civil rights groups and burning Catholics out of their homes.
More to the point, when the loyalists don’t get what they want (“they took our flegs”) they’re every bit as happy to attack the security forces..
Jonny, really?! Wow, I’d never read a history book! (Sarcasm).
Get out of this Nationalist/Unionist paradigm. The majority of people just want to live in peace. Escalation of violence by any N/U side will result in the need for more security services by the State.
What about an escalation in violence by state collusion as has happened before with the security services as you call them knowing about the omagh bombing a full week before it exploded and allowed it happen shouldn’t the cia garda ruc officers who’s names are widely available on the net and agents involved be allowed to tell there victims the truth to prevent it happening again.
Oh yeah, I forgot that all parties weren’t involved today because the DUP said they won’t negotiate on a Sunday.
I now declare Sunday officially DUP free day.
Sounds like a pain in the haas.
* Haass
How come The Good Friday Agreement was agreed on a Good Friday?, that was a religious day i do believe.
Robin, good point. However the Democratic Unionist Party was not a signatory to the Good Friday Agreement as it opposed it. The DUP was therefore not present when the Good Friday Agreement was finalised and signed. The DUP is taking part in the present talks and that is to be welcomed.
Meghan o’Sullivan is a very impressive person but I think it was a mistake sending a red haired woman with an Irish name to deal with Unionists. She just pushes too many buttons for them.
have your say