The British and Irish governments are to present a detailed paper on future North-South arrangements in an effort to bring real impetus to the talks and defuse current tensions. In the face of escalating violence, they are preparing a discussion paper outlining the possible remit of future all-island bodies and how they might operate.
The multi-party talks move to London for three days next week during which the participants will solely discuss the crucial Strand Two North-South issues. The governments hope the paper will allow progress in the difficult Strand Two area to calm the political and paramilitary volatility.
Meanwhile, Mr Gary McMichael, leader of the Ulster Democratic Party said he understood the UDA ceasefire to be still intact, despite suspicions it was responsible for the killing of Belfast taxi-driver Mr Larry Brennan on Monday night. He said the UDP, which is linked to the UDA, was totally committed to the talks, although he declined to condemn Mr Brennan's murder. "We are here in these talks because we want to see an end to all further killings," he said.
Under the Mitchell Principles, if it were established that the UDA was responsible, the UDP should be expelled from the talks. Against Sinn Fein allegations that the UDA was operating a "no-claim-no-blame" murder policy and was in league with the LVF, Mr McMichael said no one knew who murdered Mr Brennan.
The UDP was not operating a "Machiavellian double-bluff" of engaging in politics at Stormont while being party to UDA violence outside the process. "We are on the ground actively opposing violence," he said. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, and the North's political development minister, Mr Paul Murphy, said the governments and the talks parties were determined the continuing violence would not wreck the process. Mr Andrews said the London talks would be "crucial" to determining the ability of the talks to deal with the "very difficult" North-South issue.
Mr Murphy said London would allow the parties to address North-South matters which went to "the heart of the negotiations".
"It is tragic that we are obliged to meet against the background of a most brutal and primitive campaign of sectarian murders. Such killings have no place in modern Ireland," Mr Andrews said at Stormont yesterday. He insisted that contrary to Sinn Fein's analysis, the Framework Document was still relevant to the process and was not "diluted". In his submission to yesterday's Strand Two plenary, he sought to reassure Sinn Fein that the Government was committed to achieving a substantial Irish dimension to any settlement.
"Any new agreement must have as its fundamental basis the need for profound change. The brutal murders over the last few weeks are a grim reminder that we cannot go on as we have been. The settlement we are seeking, therefore, must address the fundamental challenge facing the people of Ireland, North and South." Mr Murphy said the parties were determined to "get down to the detail" and not to be deflected by recent violence. The British-Irish paper, which was being submitted at the request of the parties, would allow the participants to address the "nitty-gritty" of North-South matters.
The SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, said the talks must succeed to defeat those who sought to destroy the process by violence. He also argued that there would be a significant Irish dimension to any solution.
