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Trimble and Adams 'both to blame'
The Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein are both to blame for failing to secure a deal to move the Northern Ireland political process forward, SDLP leader Mark Durkan has said.
His comments came on Sunday as Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble criticised IRA moves to put its weapons beyond use as being "too secret".
Mr Trimble told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost he had called a halt to the political process earlier this week because there was "no point" in republican decommissioning that was not transparent to the public.
But Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said all parties had agreed to the process involving confidentiality for the IRA.
They spoke as talks aimed at restoring the resolution reached between unionists and republicans to deliver power-sharing continued.
On Tuesday, Mr Trimble called for greater clarity on the details of decommissioning in General John de Chastelain's report.
The arms chief said the number of IRA weapons put beyond use had been "considerably larger" than before.
Despite the setback, Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy made an order to enable fresh elections to take place on 26 November.
The devolved administration was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in the Stormont government.
Mr Adams told the BBC he had still not received a satisfactory explanation as to why the latest stage in the process had been halted.
"The problem is there is a failure or a refusal to accept both the integrity and the independence of the independent commission," he said.
He said it was indisputable the IRA had made "momentous" moves to disarm.
"Those guns are silenced. We have to allow the commission to do its work.
"There's huge anger and frustration within republicanism that republicans have done all of this, and had nothing in return," he said.
But Mr Trimble said the issue of confidentiality had not arisen from legislation but from the IRA "extracting a promise" from the commission not to disclose details.
"The simple truth of the matter is that invisible acts don't really weigh very much with the general public.
"We said to Gerry Adams months ago that there was no point in secret decommissioning.
"It has to be done in a way to maximise public confidence."
He said public faith in the commission had been eroded and needed to be rebuilt.
Mr Trimble also said the republicans had offered no assurances the decommissioning process would be carried through to completion.
Negotiations continue
"If I hadn't put the brakes on, the whole process would have crashed. It's still there, it's still rescuable."
He said the republicans needed to change their current approach of "grudging minimalism" if the process was to get back on track.
Mr Adams said he didn't know if the problems could be ironed out "in the short term".
Mr Durkan claimed that the Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein were less than honest during negotiations.
"I think everybody would like to see more transparency," the SDLP leader told the BBC's Politics Show.
"That's not a matter of saying I sympathise with David Trimble, Sinn Fein or the IRA.
"I don't believe it's fair to ask the rest of us to write references to who was wrong on this and who was right in this - the fact is they're both to blame."
Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party said transparency was not the real issue on the question of arms.
"I think the main concern of the unionist community would be the guns and weaponry that the IRA still holds, rather than the meagre amount that they may have disposed of, if indeed they have properly and permanently disposed of them," he said.
"From a unionist point of view, these are weapons that have caused death and destruction, and they shouldn't be used as a bartering tool in order to get concessions."
On Saturday Mr Adams spoke by telephone to the British and Irish Prime Ministers.
Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern also spoke over the telephone on Saturday morning, but no details of their discussion were given.
Mr Adams has also been in touch with the Ulster Unionist leadership, while Sinn Fein negotiator Martin McGuinness was meeting senior party officials.
Mr Adams said talks were continuing between both parties and governments on Sunday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/n...nd/3215109.stm
The Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein are both to blame for failing to secure a deal to move the Northern Ireland political process forward, SDLP leader Mark Durkan has said.
His comments came on Sunday as Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble criticised IRA moves to put its weapons beyond use as being "too secret".
Mr Trimble told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost he had called a halt to the political process earlier this week because there was "no point" in republican decommissioning that was not transparent to the public.
But Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said all parties had agreed to the process involving confidentiality for the IRA.
They spoke as talks aimed at restoring the resolution reached between unionists and republicans to deliver power-sharing continued.
On Tuesday, Mr Trimble called for greater clarity on the details of decommissioning in General John de Chastelain's report.
The arms chief said the number of IRA weapons put beyond use had been "considerably larger" than before.
Despite the setback, Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy made an order to enable fresh elections to take place on 26 November.
The devolved administration was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in the Stormont government.
Mr Adams told the BBC he had still not received a satisfactory explanation as to why the latest stage in the process had been halted.
"The problem is there is a failure or a refusal to accept both the integrity and the independence of the independent commission," he said.
He said it was indisputable the IRA had made "momentous" moves to disarm.
"Those guns are silenced. We have to allow the commission to do its work.
"There's huge anger and frustration within republicanism that republicans have done all of this, and had nothing in return," he said.
But Mr Trimble said the issue of confidentiality had not arisen from legislation but from the IRA "extracting a promise" from the commission not to disclose details.
"The simple truth of the matter is that invisible acts don't really weigh very much with the general public.
"We said to Gerry Adams months ago that there was no point in secret decommissioning.
"It has to be done in a way to maximise public confidence."
He said public faith in the commission had been eroded and needed to be rebuilt.
Mr Trimble also said the republicans had offered no assurances the decommissioning process would be carried through to completion.
Negotiations continue
"If I hadn't put the brakes on, the whole process would have crashed. It's still there, it's still rescuable."
He said the republicans needed to change their current approach of "grudging minimalism" if the process was to get back on track.
Mr Adams said he didn't know if the problems could be ironed out "in the short term".
Mr Durkan claimed that the Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein were less than honest during negotiations.
"I think everybody would like to see more transparency," the SDLP leader told the BBC's Politics Show.
"That's not a matter of saying I sympathise with David Trimble, Sinn Fein or the IRA.
"I don't believe it's fair to ask the rest of us to write references to who was wrong on this and who was right in this - the fact is they're both to blame."
Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party said transparency was not the real issue on the question of arms.
"I think the main concern of the unionist community would be the guns and weaponry that the IRA still holds, rather than the meagre amount that they may have disposed of, if indeed they have properly and permanently disposed of them," he said.
"From a unionist point of view, these are weapons that have caused death and destruction, and they shouldn't be used as a bartering tool in order to get concessions."
On Saturday Mr Adams spoke by telephone to the British and Irish Prime Ministers.
Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern also spoke over the telephone on Saturday morning, but no details of their discussion were given.
Mr Adams has also been in touch with the Ulster Unionist leadership, while Sinn Fein negotiator Martin McGuinness was meeting senior party officials.
Mr Adams said talks were continuing between both parties and governments on Sunday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/n...nd/3215109.stm