| The north's two nationalist parties yesterday held
top-level talks in Belfast yesterday as unionists dug in with the talks deadline nearing. Both Sinn Fein and the SDLP agreed that the current process offered the best opportunity for a settlement but that "fundamental" political change was needed. At yesterday's meeting the Sinn Fein delegation included Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Bairbre de Brun and Alex Maskey, while the SDLP were represented by John Hume, Seamus Mallon, Mark Durkan, Sean Farren and Brid Rodgers. The encouner was described by both parties afterwards as "a good working meeting". Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, said that it had assessed the current state of the peace process. "The two parties reiterated their view that this was the best opportunity for peace and fundamental change was required to achieve this", he said. The meeting with the SDLP was Sinn Fein's first since their exclusion from talks last month. The party has also sought an urgent meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair before it decides whether it will return to the talks. Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey said one of the reasons for yesterday's meeting was that they wanted to assess where the talks and the peace process stands at the moment. "It was our view that the nationalist consensus needed to be maximised. "We also wanted to examine common ground. There is the whole question of institutions and also a number of elements of equality and issues such as policing and the judicial system and how these might be dealt with," Mr Maskey said. Meanwhile, at the Stormont talks yesterday participants held their first discussions on rights and safeguards and the need for new human rights legislation. But with negotiations scheduled to end in just weeks, there is considerable disagreement between nationalists and unionists over the likely content of a new agreement. Ulster Unionist Party David Trimble again expressed opposition to proposed North-South institutions, preferring a "forum" which he clearly hoped would be of little consequence. "We would not envisage this forum itself ever having any power", he said. Meanwhile, the Irish government is insistent on new north-south bodies having executive powers independent of Belfast and Dublin. Unionists were last night down-beat about the prospects for a settlement, with David Trimble warning that there was "no certainty" that there would be an agreement. The UUP deputy leader, Mr John Taylor, also stressed that despite some optimistic soundings from the British and Irish governments, there was no agreement yet. "Although I once said the talks had a 4 per cent chance of success, then increased it to 7 per cent, at the moment I am back to 5 per cent", Mr Taylor added. Meanwhile, a car bomb found last night on the southern side of the Irish border was defused by bomb-disposal experts. The vehicle was found in the County Louth village of Hackballscross. Garda police linked the car to the Republican CAC (Continuity Army Council) which is opposed to the peace process and the IRA's ceasefire. The CAC has been blamed for two car bombs in Counties Armagh and Down in the past two weeks. End Article Two thumbs up, way up for those CAC boyos. |