Sinn Féin attack Ulster Unionist Party’s stance

Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness has hit out at Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble`s refusal to back the British-Irish governments` package because of the lack of actual decommissioning.

He said: “It is now time for David Trimble to butt out of the international body, to recognise that General de Chastelain and his colleagues should be left to do their work in conjunction with the armed groups. The question really is - is David Trimble going to support the International body in their endeavours to try and press forward on these issues?”

Yesterday, Monday 6 August, Mr McGuinness warned that if Ulster Unionists rejected the determination of the commission headed by General John de Chastelain it would be a “mistake of huge proportions”.

He maintained that the Commission should be allowed to deal with the issue, and added that it was up to the Commission whether or not to release further details on the on the decommissioning process adopted. He said that to do otherwise would call into question the “credibility of the entire agreement”.

Sinn Féin are not expected to submit their final comments on the British-Irish peace proposals until later in this week.

The SDLP have declined to back the new package until the policing aspects of the proposals have been published in full.

(SP)