Trimble: "serious deficiences"

Unionists Attack New Decommissioning Proposals

Mr Trimble revealed at the Stormont talks that he had sent an eight-page letter to Downing Street questioning Mr Blair about the document published last Wednesday. He insisted he had not rejected the paper, but said he feared the proposals did not go far enough.

"There are serious deficiencies in the proposals. I note the commitment of the Government to total disarmament. But they need to demonstrate to us that the mechanisms they are proposing will achieve that objective," he said.

Mr Trimble's comments came after the British and Irish governments formally presented their decommissioning paper to the parties at Stormont. Under the proposals, an independent commission would be set up to oversee the handing in of terrorist arms. This would take place in parallel with "substantive" discussions on the political future of Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein would be allowed entry six weeks after an unequivocal ceasefire and the IRA would have to begin handing in their weapons once the talks are under way. The Ulster Unionists, who say Sinn Fein can only join preliminary talks on the strength of an IRA ceasefire alone, insist that republicans cannot join full-scale negotiations until some weapons have been handed in.

The new Irish government insisted that the proposals were "fair and reasonable". Ray Burke, the new Irish Foreign Minister said: "It's now incumbent on the IRA to respond with a ceasefire."

The Rev Ian Paisley, leader of the Democratic Unionists, rejected the paper and accused the governments of effectively trying to impose it on the parties without allowing them to amend it. "They are bound by it. That document has the thumb print of Gerry Adams and (Martin) McGuinness on it.

"The government's refusal to answer the question of whether or not it is amendable is disgusting." But Paul Murphy, Northern Ireland Political Development Minister, insisted the document was amendable if "sensible proposals" were put forward.

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