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British, Irish leaders have faith N. Ireland deal is possible

April 8, 1998
Web posted at: 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT)

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- One day before a deadline on reaching a settlement in the difficult, negotiated peace process for Northern Ireland, the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland banded together trying to draw back Protestant support for a compromise deal.

Britain's Tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern talked for an hour on Wednesday over breakfast at Hillsborough Castle southwest of Belfast. Neither spoke afterward about the crisis gripping the negotiations on Northern Ireland's future following the rejection of a confidential draft agreement by the biggest Protestant party, the Ulster Unionists.

The two leaders believe a deal on the future of Northern Ireland is possible by Thursday's deadline, a British government spokesman said after the breakfast meeting.

"There are clear difficulties but both prime ministers believe that an agreement can be reached in time to meet tomorrow's deadline," the spokesman for Blair told reporters."The two have been in touch with all the parties in recent days and were able to go over their concerns in detail," he said.

The prime ministers expected later to meet Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble as well as other pro-British Protestant negotiators opposed to the compromise package presented Tuesday by the talks' chairman, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.

"We hope that Mr. Blair will settle Mr. Trimble down and will bring him face-to-face with his responsibilities," Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Army's political ally, said as he arrived at the talks.

"These carefully staged tantrums and rehearsed walk-outs aren't the way to bring about a settlement."

Deadline looms under shadow of Unionist rejection

On Tuesday night, Blair held separate two-hour conferences with Trimble and Mitchell about the Ulster Unionists' swift rejection of Mitchell's 65-page plan.

The Ulster Unionists, who were instrumental in founding Northern Ireland as a predominantly Protestant state 77 years ago, contend the plan would give the Irish Republic too much influence in Northern Ireland.

Mitchell, a joint appointee of the British and Irish governments, has overseen the Belfast negotiations since their June 1996 start. He wants the eight participating parties to strike an agreement on how Northern Ireland should be governed by Thursday night, but that deadline looks unlikely to be met.

Shooting sparks fears of more violence

And overnight, sectarian killers opposed to the peace talks struck again. A small anti-British gang called the Irish National Liberation Army fatally shot a 34-year-old Protestant as his wife parked their car in front of their Londonderry home.

The shooting raised fears of more sectarian killings.

Ahern's mission coincided with the funeral of his 87-year-old mother, Julia. He will fly back for the Dublin funeral, then immediately return here.

The dilemma facing Blair and Ahern is how to get Trimble and leaders of the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party to sign the same accord.

Ulster Unionist support for an agreement is considered essential. Unless Sinn Fein also signs, the likelihood is that the IRA will abandon its July 1997 truce.

Many harder-line Protestants have branded Trimble a traitor for even staying in talks that include Sinn Fein.

Blair, Ahern and Mitchell want Northern Ireland to be governed by Protestants and Catholics together in an assembly. Sinn Fein opposes that part of the plan because the party doesn't accept the right of Northern Ireland to exist.

To placate Sinn Fein's militant Catholic supporters, they also proposed that the Belfast assembly cooperate formally with the Irish Republic in a cross-border council of lawmakers. This would promote common policy-making in both parts of Ireland.

Sinn Fein and its larger moderate rival for Catholic votes, the Social Democratic and Labor Party, have both demanded a strong and independent cross-border council as the price for their participation in a northern assembly.

But the Ulster Unionists insist this council must have its decisions approved by the Northern Ireland assembly, where Protestants would retain a majority.

Message board:

• The conflict in Northern Ireland

Related stories:

• Blair arrives in N. Ireland to help salvage talks - April 7, 1998 - April 7, 1998
• Mitchell presents draft peace plan for Northern Ireland - April 6, 1998
• Optimism in the air as N. Ireland talks near finish - April 6, 1998
• Leaders confident agreement within reach on Northern Ireland - April 3, 1998
• British, Irish premiers make progress in N. Ireland talks - April 2, 1998
• Sinn Fein returns to talks and bickering resumes - March 23, 1998

Related sites:

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• Northern Ireland Office
• Sinn Féin
• The Irish Republican Army - and the armed struggle in Irish politics
• Social Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP)
• Ulster Unionist Party
• The Irish News and Belfast Morning News- Northern Ireland's largest morning newspaper
• Northern Ireland Public Service Web
• Britain in the USA: Northern Ireland: Frameworks for the Future

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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