IF the multi-party talks at Stormont are to proceed to substantive negotiations in the autumn there must be "some demonstrable activity moving forward" among the participants, the chairman of the talks, Mr George Mitchell, said yesterday.
Careful not to point the finger at any one party. Mr Mitchell said progress at the talks had been "painfully slow" but that most of the participants had come to the conclusion "that there can't be another year like the past year". In the aftermath of the murder of two RUC officers a week ago, Mr Mitchell admitted that the peace process was not vibrant. "But it's not hopeless", he said.
However, in order for the peace process to have any chance of survival, the marching season had to pass without the violence that occurred last year and there had to be "tangible progress" at the multiparty talks.
Speaking on BBC's Breakfast With Frost, Mr Mitchell gave his strongest signal yet that moving the multiparty talks into substantive negotiations would be "very difficult", but "still possible". Asked if he thought the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, had embarked upon a "tight schedule" in order to move to substantive negotiations in the autumn, Mr Mitchell agreed. "But it can be met," he said. "I think the important thing is to get into substantive issues and make some real progress, I think that's the most effective thing that can be done now.
However, on the issue of decommissioning, Mr Mitchell appeared resigned to what he called "irreconcilable positions". The only hope of resolving decommissioning would be to stick to the arrangement of parallel decommissioning. "I think it is the only basis, both governments have now embraced it, it serves as a foundation of the current talks, whether it will occur of course I don't know, but it is the only possible way forward at this time."
Stressing that the US President, Mr Bill Clinton, was doing everything possible "to be helpful and supportive" of the peace process, Mr Mitchell said calls for an end to IRA fundraising in the US, as an inducement to end violence, should be handled carefully. His preference would be to "wait and see what legal response could be made "and deal with the situation at that time".
"There shouldn't have to be this kind of pressure or inducement or incentive or anything else, these violent acts are reprehensible and morally wrong and counter productive and they ought to stop anyway," he said.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Unionist Party criticised the British government's proposed six week timetable for Sinn Fein's entry into talks. The UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, said he would not be "taken in" by a temporary ceasefire.
Importantly, a senior Conservative backbencher, Mr Andrew Hunter, said the British government had threatened the bipartisan approach taken by both parties so far. He warned the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, not to appear to be pleading with Sinn Fein to enter talks. He said the British government should concentrate on the quality of an IRA ceasefire, not its length.
However, speaking on BBC Radio 4 yesterday, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said he understood what Mr Blair was hoping to achieve with his offer to Sinn Fein. "He's talking about a total end to violence. And, once that is clear that that is unequivocal, and once Sinn Fein commit themselves that in the future they will be totally and absolutely committed to peaceful and democratic methods, then they can enter the talks on the same basis as all the other parties."