SENIOR members from virtually all the Northern Ireland political parties are likely to travel to South Africa later this month to learn from high level politicians there how they handled negotiations for a peaceful transition from one party rule.
All the parties have asked the South African government "to make that expertise available" following a visit to Belfast last year of the two senior political figures who led those negotiations Mr Cyril Ramaphosa of the African National Congress (ANC) and Mr Roelf Meyer, his counterpart on the National Party Government side.
While the political parties in Belfast would not confirm last night that they had accepted invitations to travel, it is believed a high level representation could include the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble; the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume; Sinn Fein's Mr Martin McGuinness, and the DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson. There is a doubt over the participation of Mr Robert McCartney, leader of the UK Unionist Party.
The Irish and British governments have indicated approval for the event but will not be represented. The chairman of the multiparty talks at Stormont, former US Senator George Mitchell, has also approved the visit, which was planned to give a boost to the resumption of the negotiations on. June 3rd.
The air fares will be partly funded by the Washington National Democratic Institute, which is the foreign policy foundation of the Democratic Party. Further funding will be provided by private donors in the US and the American Ireland Fund set up by Dr A.J.F. O'Reilly.
The South African government has agreed to provide transport and accommodation in a game reserve where privacy will be assured and where unionist politicians need not meet Sinn Fein members if they do not wish to. The Northern politicians will be able to meet South African ministers and former ministers who played a leading role in the negotiations between the white dominated government and the ANC.
But a newspaper report that President Nelson Mandela would "act as a mediator" has been dismissed by the principal organiser, Prof Padraig O'Malley of Boston, as "bordering on pure fabrication". The Irish Times learned of this conference a month ago, but agreed, at Prof O'Malley's request, to delay a report lest the confidential arrangements for it be jeopardised.
Prof O'Malley said the South African Minister for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development, Mr Valli Moosa, "got a great kick out of hearing how Mr Mandela was going to mediate in Northern Ireland". It is not excluded, however, that President Mandela might attend a dinner winding up the event.
Prof O'Malley said the South African government had laid down strict conditions before agreeing to host the visit. One of the conditions was "that under no circumstances would they place themselves in the position of appearing to be third party mediators or as acting as interlocutor among the disputants".
The event is being convened by the John W. McCormack Institute of Public Affairs of the University of Massachusetts of which Prof O'Malley is a senior fellow. In South Africa, the Department of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development is in charge of the arrangements.
The unionist parties agreed to attend only provided they would not have to be "physically present" in the same conference facilities as Sinn Fein. The South African authorities have made clear they will "honour this request in its entirety".
Participants will attend as individuals and not as official representatives of their parties. No press will be allowed but the participants can issue statements or give their own press conferences when they return to Northern Ireland.
Patrick Laurence writes from Johannesburg:
Reports that President Mandela was offering to mediate to help end the impasse in Northern Ireland are unfounded.
Spokesmen for President Mandela's office were unaware of his reported offer or even of the pending week long conference at a remote hamlet in the Western Cape.