THE SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, has effectively said he is prepared to act as a guarantor for the credibility of a future IRA ceasefire, in the event of Sinn Fein being directly admitted to all-party talks.
After meeting leading loyalist and IRA prisoners yesterday, Mr Hume said he was prepared to assure Mr John Major in writing that a renewed IRA ceasefire would be unequivocal and genuine. "And if I am proved wrong I would take full responsibility for misleading him," Mr Hume said.
He held two hours of "very constructive" talks with senior UVF and UDA prisoners at the Maze. After the meeting he again called on the British Prime Minister to respond positively to the Hume-Adams proposals.
Mr Hume also met two IRA prisoners at the Maze. He said on leaving the prison that with a positive response from Mr Major an IRA ceasefire was still possible.
It was the SDLP leader's first meeting with the UDA and UVF prisoners, and was organised at the prisoners' request.
Mr Hume was accompanied by Mr John White, the Ulster Democratic Party spokesman on prison issues. Mr White said the prisoners apprised Mr Hume of the current dangers to the loyalist paramilitary ceasefire.
"They appreciated John's openness, and they accepted there was no hidden agenda, and that allayed some of the fears the prisoners had," said Mr White.
Mr Hume said he briefed them on his meetings with the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, which were designed to seek a restoration of the IRA ceasefire and inclusive talks.
Mr Hume said the IRA prisoners told him they fully supported the strategy for peace of the republican leadership, which meant they wanted a restoration of the ceasefire and the engagement of Sinn Fein in all-party talks.
Mr Hume warned of the danger of a political vacuum being created between now and a British general election. The dangers were of the IRA not restoring its cease-fire, of it embarking on a heightened campaign of violence, and of a loyalist paramilitary response.
"If that happens, as everybody knows, we would be in the worst situation of all," said Mr Hume.
He repeated his accusation that the "numbers game" at Westminster had prompted Mr Major to lay down new preconditions for Sinn Fein to enter talks.
He accused Mr Major of deviating from a commitment he made following the Anglo-Irish summit in February, which laid down two conditions for Sinn Fein to enter talks firstly, that there be an unequivocal restoration of the IRA ceasefire and, secondly, that Sinn Fein would commit itself to the Mitchell principles of peace.
The language of the suggested statement, commonly known as the Hume-Adams proposals, contained those commitments, said Mr Hume.
But subsequently Mr Major had laid down extra preconditions dictating that Sinn Fein must go through a process before it could enter talks, he said. "And we don't know how long that process will last."
