Dodds says DUP 'good intentions' not in question

Commenting on the Sinn Féin President's keynote speech yesterday, on the Good Friday Agreement Review, North Belfast Democratic Unionist Party MP Nigel Dodds has said that Sinn Féin is "completely missing the point".

In a statement Mr Dodds said: "Gerry Adams really does have a nerve to suggest that the upcoming negotiations are an opportunity for the Democratic Unionist Party to show its 'good intentions'. Our good intentions are not in question. We are committed to working for a stable form of devolution for Northern Ireland."

Declaring that the ball was in "Sinn Fein/IRA’s court", Mr Dodds said: "The IRA needs to go away. It must end all of its illegal activities and dismantle and disband its structures before the bar to the Stormont executive can be lifted."

He said that this issue was not up for negotiation: "The DUP’s long-held principle of not having armed and active terrorists in government is now almost universally accepted."

Yesterday, he said the British Prime Minister Tony Blair had commented that no party that is in government should be associated with active paramilitary organisations. Comments, which Mr Dodds said, were backed up the stance of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny and the Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell.

"The unionist community have demonstrated through the ballot box that they will not tolerate the inclusion of unrepentant, active terrorists in the government of Northern Ireland," he said.

On a more positive note, Mr Dodds said: "It must be borne in mind that the only way forward is by agreeing arrangements that unionists and nationalists can support."

Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey interviewed on BBC's 'Heats and Minds' echoed the party President's position that Sinn Féin wanted a short and narrow review of the Agreement.

However, the DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley, long in favour of remodelling the Agreement, met with Mr Blair earlier this week in what was described as an "extremely useful meeting". He said he was seeking a way to restore "complete democracy" to Northern Ireland.

On Monday, the former Northern Ireland First Minister, Ulster Unionist party leader David Trimble, likened the proposed review to "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic".

(SP)