The Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein will meet again next week after they failed to break the deadlock in talks at Stormont yesterday. The parties could reach no agreement on decommissioning and the setting up of an executive.
The UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, said no progress had been made. He said he had put a number of questions to the delegation, which included Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness, but received inadequate replies.
He accused Sinn Fein of equivocation. "The discussion, I'm sorry to say, continued to go round in circles as it has done on previous occasions. We put simple straightforward questions to them and were met with evasion."
Mr Trimble questioned Sinn Fein's willingness to form an executive. If the party co-operated, he said, "an executive could be formed next week. We are prepared to give that sort of precision in response and we will seek at least that sort of precision from the republican movement. We have not yet got it. We wanted to know precisely what they were going to do and when. We were given nothing of substance whatsoever."
Asked if there was any point in continuing to meet Sinn Fein, Mr Trimble said: "We are not quitters by nature and we will reflect upon this and we will hope that at some future meeting there will be a clearer, more positive response from Sinn Fein."
Yesterday's meeting was the second between the two parties as part of Senator George Mitchell's review of the implementation of the Belfast Agreement. It is understood they will meet again on Monday.
Mr Adams strongly defended his party's behaviour during the meeting and said everyone should remain focused on "the prize of peace". There was no reason why an executive should not be formed, he said. "Sinn Fein are always forthright both in terms of what we say and in terms of how we answer questions put to us. If Mr Trimble is saying that the executive could be put in place next week, then it should be put in place next week."
Mr Adams said he was not prepared to enter into a public argument with the UUP about who was to blame for the deadlock.
He said he could say Sinn Fein put all sorts of proposals to Mr Trimble, but the First Minister had been negative and evasive. However, to make such a statement would take the process nowhere. Rather, all concerned should focus on implementing the Belfast Agreement.
Mr McGuinness said the onus was on the Ulster Unionists. "We believe we have delivered our constituency for the Good Friday agreement. It's very simple what has to be done now. David Trimble has to deliver his," he said. "What the Ulster Unionists have to do is recognise that this big issue they have been using as an obstacle to prevent the implementation of the agreement can only be resolved in the context of establishing the institutions."
Speaking before the meeting, Mr McGuinness said there could be movement on decommissioning.