DATE=5/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=NORTHERN IRELAND AGREEMENT (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262063
BYLINE=LOURDES NAVARRO
DATELINE=LONDON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The Irish Republican Army has agreed to begin
giving up its weapons in a move that could see the
return of home rule to the troubled province. The
statement by the I-R-A (Saturday) was in response to a
deal put forward by the British and Irish governments
in which both sides promised to return self-government
to Northern Ireland by May 22nd if paramilitary groups
begin disarming by a new extended deadline. Lourdes
Navarro reports from London.
TEXT: Northern Ireland's Protestant-Catholic power-
sharing government was suspended in February after
only 11 weeks of existence. The central issue that
caused the breakdown was the handing over of weapons
by the I-R-A. The Protestant Ulster Unionist party
wanted the I-R-A to do it as soon as possible or else
it said it would not take part in government with the
I-R-A's political wing, Sinn Fein. The I-R-A dragged
its heels (EDS: delayed), saying it was committed to
peace, but was not willing to hand in its arms.
Both the Irish and British governments have been
working energetically to get Northern Ireland's peace
process back on track. On Friday, British Prime
Minister Tony Blair and Irish leader Bertie Ahern said
they would transfer power back to local hands on May
22nd. To make that possible, they said they would
extend the disarmament deadline from May 22nd to June
next year.
In response to that offer, the I-R-A leadership now
says that it will initiate a process that, in its
words, "will completely and verifiably put I-R-A arms
beyond use."
It is now up to Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble
and his party to decide whether or not the I-R-A
statement goes far enough.
Mr. Trimble said that although the statement broke new
ground he will wait before making any decisions.
/// TRIMBLE ACT ///
There are of course some questions, and there
are points we will want to tease out the meaning
of. And we'll also want to get clarification
about the procedures, particularly on the way of
insuring that weapons have remained secure.
/// END ACT//
While the I-R-A statement is considered hugely
significant, the outlawed group has not promised to
destroy its weapons as Unionists have demanded. It
says only that their arms dumps can be inspected by
third parties who will report to the disarmament
monitors.
NEB/LN/DW/JP
06-May-2000 11:36 AM EDT (06-May-2000 1536 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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