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Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | Stormont election set for November

Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | Stormont election set for November

· IRA sanctions further decommissioning
· Assembly elections on November 26
· Adams: let's take guns out of politics
· Blair leaves No 10 for Belfast

Matthew Tempest and agencies
Tuesday October 21, 2003
New elections to the devolved assembly in Northern Ireland will take place on November 26, the British government announced today as the IRA confirmed they had authorised "a further act" of decommissioning."
No details were revealed of where or when the destruction of arms took place, but it is understood that General de Chastelain will make an announcement later today confirming the decommissioning act.

The IRA's move - in a traditionally pseudonymous statement signed by "P O'Neill" - came 90 minutes after a public declaration from Sinn Féin leader pledging an end to "physical force republicanism".

The prime minister has now left Downing Street for Belfast.

The setting of an election date raises hopes that the Stormont assembly - suspended a year ago amid allegations of an IRA spy ring - could now finally be established as a permanent power-sharing body in the province.

Statements from the SDLP, Irish and British governments, UUP and DUP are all expected today, in a pivotal day in Northern Ireland.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, the Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, called for "full and irreversible implementation" of the Good Friday agreement.

Quoting the hunger striker Bobby Sands, Mr Adams called on all voters in Northern Ireland to use their vote "and use it wisely for peace".

He welcomed the November date for elections, but criticised "media focus" on the republicans, pointing to almost 10 years of the IRA ceasefire.

He heralded "the end to physical force republicanism", although deliberately avoided any totemic phrases such as "the war is over."

He also appealed to those organisations currently not on ceasefire. "While calling on all armed groups to desist, I want to appeal especially to organisations which present themselves as republican.

His appeal to republicans was strongly aimed at persuading them to stay with Sinn Féin as the political means of securing an Irish republic, admitting: "The past five years have been a political and emotional rollercoaster ride for republicans and unionists alike."

Meanwhile dissenting UUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson - who has challenged Mr Trimble's leadership in the past - stayed in London while the announcements were made in Belfast and sounded an early note of scepticism.

He told Sky News: "What we need is what the prime minister described as 'acts of completion' - that is the bottom line for unionists."

Choreographed statements are now expected from Mr Blair and the Irish taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.

The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Potentially, this could be the most significant day in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday agreement."

Mr Blair was travelling to the province primarily to gauge the current state of IRA decommissioning from General Sir John de Chastelain, the spokesman said.

"There is an agreed sequence of events we are seeing today," he said. "I think what is different from some of the other moments we have had in the peace process is that this is really being driven by the parties, with the government, if you like, giving their support.

"You have not seen Weston Park-style hothousing. You have not seen grandstanding. What there has been is high quality engagement from the parties.

"What we have always said in respect of Northern Ireland is that confidence is the life blood of the political process and without confidence on both sides it makes it difficult to make progress.

"Now, as we have said, there has been a very positive engagement, particularly in the last few weeks."

The Stormont elections - which were postponed from their scheduled date this May since the assembly was suspended - will see a very close fight between David Trimble's Ulster Unionists and the anti-agreement Democratic Unionist party, lead by the Rev Ian Paisley.

Mr Trimble also faces internal dissent within his own party from rebel MP Jeffrey Donaldson, while Sinn Féin appear to have shot ahead of their nationalist rivals, the SDLP.

David Trimble's Ulster Unionists had insisted that power-sharing could not be restored without a declaration from the IRA that it is ending all paramilitary activity.

In a speech to his party conference in Armagh last Saturday, Mr Trimble said republicans needed to give a sense that paramilitarism was coming to an end.

Hardline Ulster Unionists were expected to criticise any deal if, as they suspect, it falls short of their demands for total decommissioning and the disbanding of the IRA.

Internal critics of David Trimble have suggested the Ulster Unionists could go into a November assembly election badly divided, with the party facing the awkward problem of whether it could house among its field of candidates two of the three rebel MPs who have angered their leadership by resigning the party whip.

October 21, 2003 at 09:21 AM in Ireland | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home