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DATE=2/8/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=NORTHERN IRELAND (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-258952
BYLINE=LAURIE KASSMAN
DATELINE=LONDON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  Britain's House of Commons is pushing through 
legislation that would suspend Northern Ireland's 
power-sharing assembly at the end of the week.  The 
threat comes after a deadlock on paramilitary 
disarmament.  Correspondent Laurie Kassman has more 
from London.
TEXT:  The House of Commons is working on the 
legislation to suspend the assembly while officials in 
London, Dublin, and Belfast are working feverishly to 
prevent that.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair met (Tuesday) with 
Gerry Adams, who heads Sinn Fein, the political wing 
of the Irish Republican Army.  Mr. Blair wants the I-
R-A to clarify its position on disarming before the 
May deadline.
Gerry Adams described the talks as serious and 
focussed, but said suspending the peacetime assembly 
will send the wrong signal to Northern Ireland.  He 
warned against caving into what he called pro-British 
Unionist threats.
            /// ADAMS ACT // OPT ACT ///
      If the institutions are collapsed around us it 
      would seem to be that the British government 
      places no value in this, no value in these 
      institutions.
            // END ACT // END OPT //
// OPT //  Mr. Adams warns that suspending the 
assembly sends the wrong signal to Northern Ireland.
            // ADAMS SECOND ACT //
      My appeal to all concerned is to stick by their 
      obligations - is not to be spooked or be in any 
      way diverted from the implementation of the 
      agreement and not to suspend the institutions.
            /// END ACT // END OPT ///
The latest crisis over I-R-A disarming was sparked by 
a Unionist demand for progress on the arms issue by 
the end of January.  But the special international 
commission dealing with disarmament reported no I-R-A 
gesture in that direction.
Unionist Party leader David Trimble - who also heads 
the power-sharing government - threatened to resign.  
He says words are not enough.  He wants a concrete I-
R-A gesture on disarmament.
Britain's top official for Northern Ireland, Peter 
Mandelson, then threatened to suspend the assembly 
after complaining that disarmament should get under 
way sooner rather than later, if both sides are 
serious about peace.
But Mr. Mandelson has given both sides this week to 
try to avoid the disaster.  The legislation to suspend 
the assembly will not be effective until next weekend.  
Sinn Fein is seeking legal advice on the grounds the 
British Parliament has no constitutional right to take 
that action.   (SIGNED)
NEB/LMK/GE/ENE/RAE
08-Feb-2000 13:47 PM EDT (08-Feb-2000 1847 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.