Haass urges NI parties to strike deal on divisive issues

Former US special enjoy Richard Haass has called on the main parties in Northern Ireland to provide leadership and strike agreement on the contentious issues that still divide the communities.

He also said Northern Ireland must not be forced to choose between peace and justice as one without the other “will not endure”.

Dr Haass was today (mon) presented with the 2013 Tipperary International Peace Award in recognition of his efforts as chairman of the multi-party talks which sought last year to bring resolution to the issues of parades, flags and the past.

A document drafted by the retired diplomat and his team was supported by Sinn Féin and the SDLP, partially-supported by the Alliance Party but the UUP and the DUP refused to sign up, bringing an end to his involvement on the December 31st deadline.

Dr Haass said he hoped an agreement would yet be reached but again said he was unlikely to be involved in any formal role. He was “honoured” to be presented with the Tipperary award.

“We’ll see what happens. The idea is out there, the text is out there. Sometimes things take a bit of time,” he said when asked if he was optimistic of resolution on the divisive matters between the parties.

Asked if he thought the parties were currently ready to agree a final position between them, he said: “So far, clearly not, because they haven’t. Hopefully the day will come soon when they are ready.”

He did not think the problems were too difficult for a resolution to be found.

“No. No. I really don’t. Again, we came very close. I believe all the parties have a text they can defend. The people would clearly be better off, so I don’t think the differences are unbridgeable or intractable.”

Asked what the next move required, he replied: “Leadership. Plain and simple.”

There were compromises reached on each of the three areas involved in the six-month talks last year, he said. “But they’re [the parties]going to have to explain and defend. In the case of the parties that wouldn’t agree to it, I’ll leave it to them to explain to the public why they couldn’t sign on.”

During his acceptance speech, Dr Haass said any question about the need to contend with the past in Northern Ireland was "put to rest" by recent events such as the arrest and subsequent release of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams; revelations regarding assurances given to "on-the-runs" and the decision by the British government not to begin reviews of the Ballymurphy and La Mon killings.

“Many have suggested that Northern Ireland must choose between peace and justice. The concern is that pursuing the latter will undermine the former. It has been suggested by some that it is time to ‘get over’ the past and focus on preserving and strengthening the peace. I respectfully disagree. I saw this acknowledging that such approaches appear to have been successful elsewhere. But I believe Northern Ireland must have both peace and justice.”

He added that “peace without justice will not endure” and said the people of Northern Ireland must live and work and govern side by side. “This will not prove easy or even possible without coming to terms with the past. And justice is one essential component of doing so.”

No-one is above the law, Dr Haass said. “At the same time, the law cannot be politicised or applied inconsistently or unevenly to pursue certain individuals, organisations or governments.”