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November 17, 1999
Web posted at: 10:53 a.m. EST (1553 GMT)

In this story: Trimble drops long-standing opposition Sinn Fein renounces violence Convincing the Unionists may prove difficult RELATED STORIES, SITES

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- The Irish Republican Army said Wednesday it intends to open negotiations with Northern Ireland's disarmament commission, a significant gesture in support of the 1998 Good Friday agreement.

The much-anticipated announcement has been the subject of intensive negotiations during the past 11 weeks of discussions, mediated by American diplomat George Mitchell, a former U.S. senator from Maine.

AUDIO CNN's Nic Robertson discusses the IRA statement 438K/40 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Robertson comments on the significance of the IRA statement 440K/40 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     QUICKVOTE Now that the IRA has agreed to talk with the disarmament commission, peace in Northern Ireland is ... A sure thing Still in doubt Still a pipe dream View Results

The IRA statement was designed to break the deadlock of the past year between the Ulster Unionists, which is Northern Ireland's major British Protestant party, and the IRA-linked Sinn Fein party.

It was the first time the IRA said disarmament was open for negotiation.

The IRA, however, said it wouldn't meet with the disarmament commission until a joint Protestant-Catholic administration for Northern Ireland was appointed. Recent media reports in Northern Ireland suggest a Protestant-Catholic power-sharing administration could be established by December 8.

The IRA announcement followed a development on Tuesday in which Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble indicated he would drop his long-standing opposition to Sinn Fein's entry to the new government if the IRA promised to appoint a disarmament representative.

The IRA's condition in its Wednesday statement -- requiring Trimble to move first in establishing the new government -- and the IRA offering no commitment actually to disarm will make the IRA's new offer a difficult sale for Trimble's many Protestant critics.

Nonetheless, the developments on Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to clear significant obstacles to the creation of a four-party administration to govern the British province, as called for in the Good Friday accord of 1998.

"We now have a chance to create a genuine partnership between unionists and nationalists in a novel form of government," said Trimble, who is expected to be Northern Ireland's prime minister under the proposed system.

He had staunchly opposed the inclusion of Sinn Fein in that government until the outlawed IRA -- which the Unionists believe is closely connected with Sinn Fein -- agrees to disarm.

Sinn Fein leader Adams

For its part, Sinn Fein issued a statement Tuesday renouncing violence as a viable tool in striving toward peace in Northern Ireland.

"Sinn Fein has a total and absolute commitment to pursue our objectives by exclusively peaceful and democratic means in accordance with the Good Friday agreement," the Catholic party's statement read. "For this reason we are totally opposed to any use of force or threat of force by others for any political purpose."

"There is no doubt," Sinn Fein said, "that we are entering into the final stages of the resolution of the conflict."

The creation of the Northern Ireland administration would provide "an effective political alternative" to the violence of the past, the party said, making the conflict "for all of us now a thing of the past, over, done with and gone."

Sinn Fein, the statement said, is committed "to removing the gun forever from the politics of our country."

The Good Friday accord calls for complete disarmament of the IRA and outlawed loyalist groups by May 2000.

Despite the hope engendered by statements issued this week, Trimble faces a daunting task of convincing the membership of his party to support the deal. Some Ulster Unionist members vehemently oppose any softening of the pressure on the IRA and Sinn Fein.

"You don't corrupt the democratic process in the hopes that terrorists might toe the line," said Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party. "To get into this club, you have to accept the rules of the club. You give up your weaponry, you accept democratic and peaceful means -- and that entitles you to be part of the democratic process."

John Hume, leader of the moderate Catholic Social Democratic and Labor Party, said there was no reason not to continue the progress begun by the Good Friday accord, which he said is "firmly based on our party's fundamental values."

"As a new century approaches, the agreement offers us all the chance to transcend our past, to leave behind division and conflict once and for all," he said. "It has the capacity to transform relationships within Northern Ireland, throughout Ireland and between the peoples of these islands."

Correspondent Nic Robertson, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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