The following information and transcripts are courtesy of the Northern Ireland Information Service

Sept. 5, 2003

Independent Monitoring Commission

The Independent Monitoring Commission was yesterday described as a "ramshackle construct" by the SDLP but the Ulster Unionists said it would shine a spotlight on paramilitary activity. Sinn Fein reiterated that republicans would not cooperate with the Commission and the DUP said it would be intentionally ineffective and far from independent. The establishment of the IMC was welcomed by Alliance and the Women's Coalition. Irish News Ps 8 and 9. Gerry Moriarity in the Irish Times P8 reports that divisions have emerged in the UUP with regard to the monitoring body. He says David Trimble has urged the 3 dissident UUP MPs to unite behind party policy on the basis that the proposed IMC will not give Dublin a role in Northern Ireland affairs. Jeffrey Donaldson said the Government would have a say in NI matters through the IMC part of whose function is to adjudicate on the IRA and loyalist ceasefires. 

Frank Miller, Irish Times P8, says the Commission may not be such a help to Trimble and it is questionable how advantageous the Dublin Government's sensitivity to the UUP leader's difficulties have been.

An internal crisis faces the leadership of the Provisional IRA as a result of the setting up of the new independent commission. Irish Independent P8.

Maurice Hayes in the Irish Independent P10 comments that the announcement of the IMC in the run-up to the Ulster Unionists Council meeting tomorrow is presumably intended to bolster David Trimble. Whether it will make the slightest difference in the circumstances is a matter for speculation.

See also Guardian P14, Times Ps 4 and 25, Financial Times P4, Telegraph P2 and Daily Mirror P2.
 
Editorial - Irish Independent P10 says it will not shock many that Sinn Fein have grave difficulties with the new body to oversee paramilitary ceasefires. 

Editorial - Daily Telegraph P29 says the Commission is supposed to adjudicate on the kind of paramilitary activities that have repeatedly undermined the Belfast Agreement and to recommend appropriate sanctions which republicans fear could lead to their exclusion from office.

Editorial - The Times P25 reports that the IMC will begin its work against a reasonably favorable background and that it has been established at all is itself something of a triumph.

 
Program GMU
Date & Time 5 September 2003 - 7.13
Subject Independent Monitoring Commission - 
Shane Harrison

CONOR BRADFORD

Another big day tomorrow for David Trimble. Once more facing the hurdle of an Ulster Unionist Council vote. Meanwhile, other bits of the peace process jigsaw are falling into place in London and Dublin, and from Dublin, we're joined now by our correspondent, Shane Harrison.

Now Shane, this whole business of a ceasefire commission has been of interest particularly North of the border, but of course the Republic has its nominee on the board now, a retired civil servant, what's the thinking in Dublin on this Commission?

SHANE HARRISON

Well the Irish Government is hopeful that the Commission can do its job and monitor all the outstanding aspects of the Good Friday Agreement that need to be implemented. The Irish Government was sensitive to unionist concerns about interference in Strand I, the internal affairs inside Northern Ireland, and therefore it's representative won't have an overseeing role in terms of monitoring whether progress is being made on those internal aspects of the Good Friday Agreement. Clearly the Government also hopes that the problems inside the Ulster Unionist problem will come to a resolution, and it was quite noticeable that yesterday afternoon, after having had a meeting with Sinn Fein, the Irish Foreign Minister, Brian Cowen, said that he was confident that elections could take place in the autumn, which Sinn Fein keep pushing for.

CONOR BRADFORD

Yes, there's talk in some of the Dublin papers this morning about an imminent split within the republican movement between the IRA and Sinn Fein over this whole business of the Commission, and of course the IRA has also been talking to the Dublin Government about the whole issue of "the disappeared", so there have been quite considerable contacts between the Ahern Government, and the republican movement at the moment, haven't there?
SHANE HARRISON

There have been quite a lot of contacts. Brian Cowen said yesterday that Sinn Fein had never accepted the role of the Commission, they and the Irish Government had different views on it. Gerry Adams said that they weren't going to co-operate. But Brian Cowen didn't seem to think that that was going to be too much of a problem, and of course as you say, there have been problems between the Irish Government in terms of communication and understanding about "the disappeared". Sinn Fein passed on information about "the disappeared" to the Irish Government, the Irish Government said that they were assessing it at the time that the suspected remains of Jean McConville were found, but even with that information it wouldn't have been enough to have found the remains, because they were about half a mile away from the location that had been specified.

CONOR BRADFORD

Mr. Ahern was very disappointed when the Assembly elections were postponed, and as you say, I mean probably behind the scenes they'll be hoping David Trimble gets through, obviously to endorse him publicly would be like a, that Mr. Trimble needs that like a hole in the head really, doesn't he? But if he does get through this latest hurdle, what's the thinking on elections in Dublin?

SHANE HARRISON

Well the Irish Government and indeed Sinn Fein went out of their way yesterday, not to endorse David Trimble, to say that they didn't want to interfere in the internal affairs of another party, but I think it's fair to say that the Irish Government would very much like this whole problem to be resolved, and they want the elections to go ahead, they didn't want the elections canceled in the first place, they believe that their view is basically the right one, and Brian Cowen said yesterday, that he was confident that the elections would go ahead. But if you talk to any British official, they say that decision will be taken by one man, the Prime Minister, and he will take it at a time when he sees whether there's any benefit to be gained from it.

 CONOR BRADFORD

It has to be said that the front pages of the Dublin papers are more concerned with domestic problems within the Republic, I mean a huge crisis with the postal service, An Phost losing millions of Euros, this really is a major worry for the Government, and presumably makes the whole northern area just that less pressing at the moment?

SHANE HARRISON

Well I think domestic political pressures are growing, particularly with local and European elections next year. Yes, An Phost is a problem, the Irish Communications Minister, Dermot Ahern, believes that there was no trouble with An Phost as recently as December of last year, he was being told by the company that everything was hunky dory, and then he talks to the company this week, and he's discovered that they're about 33 million pounds in debt, they're going to be in debt again next year, and instead of a 1,000 jobs having to go, 1,500 jobs out of the total workforce of 10,000 are going to have to go. So that's one big problem for him. There are also problems in the transport area, where the Irish Transport Minister has the unions up against him over his plans to break up (unclear), the Irish Airport's Authority, and unions in Dublin (unclear) also opposing plans to privatize. So those are some of the biggest domestically at the moment.

Program EVENING EXTRA
Date & Time 4.9.03 18.26
Subject INDEPENDENT MONITORING BODY

AUDREY CARVILLE

The SDLP aren't entirely happy with the new Monitoring Commission. On the line it's deputy leader Brid Rodgers. Brid Rodgers why not?

BRID RODGERS

Well in the first instance can't I make it clear that we support the idea for a monitoring body and we think it's necessary to create confidence and it can provide a useful clarity on the demilitarization and on the actions of paramilitaries. But we have difficulties with the present proposals because it's important that all issues be dealt with not just the paramilitary and the issues of demilitarization and all aspects of the Agreement need to be monitored very carefully and there needs to be a mechanism to ensure that all, everything is moving together.

AUDREY CARVILLE

Well they do appear to include a part in the draft document that the commission may consider claims that any party representative in the Assembly are not pledging themselves or observing their pledge of office not being committed to the Agreement.

BRID RODGERS

Well yes well that is actually inviting people to make claims and to begin to complain if you like about other parties, but we had proposed originally and what we still are convinced is the best way forward is that there should be a monitoring body to deal with the paramilitary element and the demilitarization of, which is a matter for British Government. That's those elements and that then there should be an implementation group of all of the parties who would on a regular basis monitor all aspects of the Agreement. 

That would be not just the workings internally but also the North South issues, human rights, the Bill of Rights, equality issues, all of those issues that are important to all the people and that that would proceed alongside, but there is a bit of a mishmash now that's not clear. For instance there are some areas which as the Secretary of State has just said within the remit of the Northern Ireland Assembly which could impact on the workings of the North South ministerial councils, and then how do you square that? 

We feel that the best way forward is for all parties to be involved in an implementation group which will look at all aspects whether it be within the North, North South, human rights, equality of whatever and deal with them and if issues arise that all parties deal with around an inclusive and collective basis and that whichever party might be in default would then have to answer to that body and we would seek solutions, rather than seeking confrontation.

AUDREY CARVILLE

Do you not think that many people will agree with Gerry Adams when he says it's an attempt to meet the demands of elements of Ulster unionism and that this body doesn't have any teeth really and at the end of the day the Secretary of State and the Government will decide what happens?

BRID RODGERS

Well no I understand that the idea is to set up an independent commission and I believe it is an independent commission to deal with the monitoring of the ceasefire of the paramilitary elements and of the demilitarization.

AUDREY CARVILLE

But it doesn't have the power to recommend what should happen.

BRID RODGERS

Well I can't say that I've got in, at this stage, to all of the details of it but it is, we haven't seen the legislation yet so we don't know what powers it has is the answer, but my understanding of Gerry Adams position at this stage is that he is opposed to the whole thing anyway, that he's opposed to any monitoring. We are in favor of monitoring but we want that monitoring to be effective and to be able to cooperate and nobody will know that until we see the legislation.

Program Evening Extra
Date & Time 4 September 2003 - 18.23
Subject Independent Monitoring Body - Paul Murphy

AUDREY CARVILLE

The Secretary of State has described the publication of a draft document detailing the workings of the Independent Commission which will monitor paramilitary activity, as a signal that the peace process is restarting. Our political editor, Mark Devenport, asked Paul Murphy when the Commission would be up and running.

PAUL MURPHY

The Commission itself can obviously start thinking in shadow form as to how it will operate, and the logistics of those operations can start now. We've now got the International Agreement, as you rightly say, we're going to be legislating in Parliament over the next couple of weeks for the body, the Irish Parliament has to do the same, and we've got the names, so the sooner it's up and running the better. We've got 4 very distinguished people who I know will do their job admirably, and I hope will be able to instill the necessary confidence in the process that's needed to ensure that we carry on into the autumn into elections.

MARK DEVENPORT

Now you hope this will be a confidence building exercise, but that would only be the case if the Commission looks at the situation on the ground, and decide that paramilitaries are being inactive? I mean, they could potentially be given a case, say the disappearance of Gareth O'Connor, to deliberate on, and they could decide, no these paramilitaries are active, and it could to a whole new crisis, couldn't they?

PAUL MURPHY

Well anything is possible, but the idea of having a Commission which is independent, is at the essence of all this, because when we discussed these things back in May, it's pretty clear that there will be more confidence across the board in an independent body, rather than the Governments doing this particular job. 

And as you know, what it has to do is report on these (unclear) alleged paramilitary activity, but what it also has to do is to look at the progress of normalization in Northern Ireland, and in doing both those things, hopefully it will ensure that people are conscious that we are moving forward. Though this is a signal that we are restarting this process, now everyone will come back from holidays refreshed I hope, and be able to ensure that the process moves on, and that we can have devolution as quickly as possible.

MARK DEVENPORT

They are also going to be deliberating on political complaints about parties, if some other parties believe that they're in breach of their various regulations. Now you're keeping that to the 2 British nominees, that's essentially in order to appease anti-Agreement unionists, isn't it, that it's a bit of a sweetener for David Trimble ahead of his crunch meeting at the weekend?

PAUL MURPHY

Well that, doubtless to say, the Unionist Parties will like that particular part of the Independent Monitoring Commissioner's remit, but of course it isn't about sweetening anybody, it's about following on precisely what had happened in the Good Friday Agreement. After all when I chaired Strand I of the talks, leading to the Agreement, it was about the Assembly and the internal workings of Government in Northern Ireland. It was me, as a British Minister who has chaired, and not George Mitchell, not the Irish Government, because it was a Strand I issue, a specific Northern Ireland one, and this logically follows from that. When we're dealing with the internal workings of the Assembly, it obviously is for the British Government, and so only the two British members of the Independent Monitoring Commission will be on that particular body. So it's logically following on from the talks themselves.
 

Program GMU
Date & Time 5 September 2003 - 8.52
Subject Ulster Unionist Council - Mark Devenport
 

SEAMUS McKEE

There's been a lot happening, and it can get a bit bewildering. What is tomorrow about?

MARK DEVENPORT

Tomorrow is meant to be about the whole business of disciplinary action against these 3 MPs. It's obviously hard to separate that from all the policy divisions that led to them rebelling in the first place. But what you've got, the requisition which has called this meeting, is a motion from the 3 MPs, essentially saying the party officer shouldn't have taken disciplinary action, and the disciplinary action should be stopped forthwith. 

Now what delegates have now received is a 2-page letter from David Trimble which turns that round, it says, that the MPs put the party in an impossible situation because they were essentially saying, if you don't agree with us well we'll split the party, and it says that these party MPs, the rebels MPs should retake the whip at Parliament forthwith, and abide by the decisions of the Council. 

And the letter implies that if they do that then the disciplinary action can be allowed, as it puts it, to fall by the way side, so that's the choice really, the delegates have got to make, but obviously behind that is all the questions of personality and policy that have been splitting this party for so long.

SEAMUS McKEE

Jeffrey Donaldson and Sir Reg Empey met yesterday. How much do we know of what they were talking about?

MARK DEVENPORT

Not a vast amount. I mean, Sir Reg won't talk about that in any terms. He says he won't get into meetings. Now we know that he's been trying various mediation attempts, so I suppose the benign interpretation of this will be, that yet again he's trying to find a middle way, because he doesn't think either of the motions that are going to be before the delegates at this meeting tomorrow, actually represents any kind of sort of peacemaking strategy.

 If you wanted to be less benign about it, and I imagine those close to David Trimble will be, they will be concerned that there's always this possibly of et tu bruté moment within Ulster Unionism, where Reg switches sides or comes up with some kind of a strategy which finally does for David Trimble. There have been indications that in the past Sir Reg has stood up and has supported the Trimble line, but this weekend he may just remain silent. That might be his tactic, in affect a kind of an abstention, I suppose that will be in the debate.

SEAMUS McKEE

We took a rather sideways look at this earlier on in the style of Big Brother. There is one big difference, and that is that while this has been going on for a long time, no one is actually left the house yet.

MARK DEVENPORT

It's really missing the kind of killer appeal of the program, isn't it? It's kind of like having interminable votes, who would you like to leave the house this week, then you keep on finding that they're still there. And I think, you know, that's the frustration felt by many Ulster Unionists. 

I mean there are those who would like things to be all sorted out, there are those who believe that things cannot be sorted out, and it's just a case of one fraction leaving, and one fraction staying, and that this argument is really about who inherits the name of the party, who inherits the property Cunningham House the headquarters and so on. 

But certainly, if this had been put out to television executives, it wouldn't have lasted for quite so many episodes, and it would have had a much more of a killer punch in it, I think before now.