Donaldson: Peace process should proceed without SF
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were today urged to forge a future in the peace process without Sinn Fein.
As the two leaders considered their next move in the deadlocked process, anti-Good Friday Agreement Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said it was clear the IRA was unwilling to give up paramilitarism for good.
He called for Assembly elections to proceed in Northern Ireland next month and for agreement on a power-sharing government without Sinn Fein.
The Lagan Valley MP said: “The IRA seems to be wedded to terrorism and violence and cannot let go of its past.
“I think that is highly regrettable but I think we must move on.
“As I said in the House of Commons this week, it is time for the Government to sit down with all the parties committed to exclusively peaceful means and put together a new government after elections.”
Mr Donaldson said today the time had “more or less come for the governments to draw a line on the process and recognise the IRA are not going to come up to the mark“.
Pessimism has begun to take root at Stormont about the ability of the two governments to move the peace process forward.
Mr Ahern met his British counterpart at the summit of EU leaders in Athens, with both men expected to come under increasing pressure to revise their plans.
A spokesman for Mr Blair said this morning’s meeting “was an opportunity to exchange views again on the continuing process”.
“It was a useful discussion. Discussions will continue,” he added.
