Clerical Witnesses Essential for N.Ireland Peace Progress

The political stalemate in Northern Ireland has seen peace talks stutter, and a potential decommissioning of arms by the IRA (Irish Republican Army) hit a dead end. However, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church has said that if more clerical witnesses were used during the process of decommissioning then an amicable solution may result.

Rev Ken Newell has suggested that if arms moves take place in Northern Ireland then the movements should be witnessed by four clergymen including a citizen "who has lost a loved one". This would therefore mean that photography of decommissioning, although desirable, would not be essential.

The British and Irish governments are currently applying unrelenting pressure on Sinn Fein to deliver photographs of IRA disarmament, and last week the IRA announced that it was willing to scrap its remainder of weaponry. However, this would only be forthcoming if both governments and Protestant leaders ceased their demands for photographic evidence of the process being used publicly.

Mr Newell emphasised his views that clergymen could be used as a replacement for photographs on a BBC Radio broadcast on Sunday. He said, "From the unionist side anyhow, one of the clerical witnesses should be a minister who has lost a loved one. (Someone) who is very concerned that this whole thing is done with credibility and will build confidence in the community. I think we have got to consider increasing the number of witnesses to four, and put in there someone who has been a victim of the Troubles that we have been through."

The current British-Irish proposals, however, only request that two clergymen bear witness to the decommissioning. In addition, on Sunday Mr Paisley stated that he would refuse to move from his position in demanding that photographic evidence be provided after "previous failed attempts".

Paisley, the DUP leader said, "If we hadn't three charades of so-called decommissioning, we wouldn't have to be as strong on this matter. We must first of all have an independent observer and that independent observer must be free to do what he likes as far as having a notebook, as far having his own inventory, as far as saying what time so many arms were destroyed. He must be absolutely free but, of course, that has never been agreed by the IRA. Then he must be able to have photographs taken by the (disarmament) commission, not by the IRA, on every step taken for the destruction of those arms - photographs before they were destroyed, photographs when they are destroying and photographs of after they're destroyed."

Northern Ireland's political institutions were suspended in October 2002 after it was alleged that IRA intelligence had been gathered at the Northern Ireland Office. Following this in November 2003, Assembly Elections were held which saw the DUP and Sinn Fein become the largest Unionist and Nationalist parties.

Despite these developments over a year ago, the two parties have never been able to compromise on an agreement which would allow the two to create an executive in which power could be shared. Therefore, currently Northern Ireland is still under the direct rules and laws projected by Westminster.

Recent developments have seen British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and his Irish equivalent, Bertie Ahern jointly propose a power-sharing agreement for Northern Ireland. However, until the issue of decommissioning has been dealt with, the process cannot progress much further.