Sinn Fein demands RUC quiz
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Your support makes all the difference.THE MULTI-PARTY talks in Dublin ended in legal and political limbo yesterday with the issue of Sinn Fein's expulsion from negotiations still unresolved.
The British and Irish governments, having listened to exhaustive arguments, will deliver at a later stage their formal deliberation, which is expected to be the temporary exclusion of the republicans from the talks.
Sinn Fein's hard-fought rearguard campaign to avoid this included the seeking of an injunction from the Dublin high court. The republican legal submission included the intriguing suggestion that the Royal Ulster Constabulary chief constable, Ronnie Flanagan, should be cross-examined by Sinn Fein about his statement that the IRA was involved in two recent killings in Belfast. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, should also be subject to cross-examination, Sinn Fein argued.
The case has been adjourned until today, but in the meantime, the three- day Dublin session, which was supposed to deal with the key issue of north- south links, ended last night. In the end, the three-day expulsion wrangle meant that the central issue was never discussed. Hopes that the Dublin interlude might "kick start" the talks have thus been dashed.
Precedent suggests that republicans, if ejected, would be re-admitted after a period of weeks. No one knows whether their removal, even on a temporary basis, would affect the stability of the peace process.
The Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams, said there "was a lot of anger" and frustration about the possible removal of Sinn Fein. He called on supporters to react "with determination and discipline".
The talks chairman, former US Senator George Mitchell said he was disappointed that talks business had been held up but added that he believed agreement was still possible. "Nobody ever said it would be easy," he observed. "I am convinced we're going to get past this difficulty."
He endorsed the suggestion that the parties should at some stages be removed from media contact for a concentrated period of negotiation.
The legal action, in the name of Sinn Fein's talk representatives, followed Ms Mowlam's expulsive move, launched after the RUC linked the IRA with two Belfast murders.
The application claimed the party had a right to attend talks under ground rules laid down in January 1996 as it "had not dishonoured" the Mitchell Principles of democracy and non-violence, and had "at all times worked to achieve a lasting peace".
Counsel for Sinn Fein said Ms Mowlam's move to expel the party contravened principles of natural and constitutional justice. It had denied it an opportunity to question the veracity or honesty of the decision, or cross- examine RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan on whose advice it was based.
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