The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, have said Sinn Fein is committed to the principle of decommissioning by May 2000.
Mr Ahern and Mr Blair said yesterday evening, following 4 1/2 hours of talks at Stormont, that all parties including Sinn Fein were committed to decommissioning being carried out in a manner determined by Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body.
The Taoiseach and Prime Minister added that there was also commitment from all the parties to a third principle that an inclusive executive be formed exercising devolved powers.
Sinn Fein responded quite positively to the statement from the British and Irish leaders. Mr Pat Doherty, Sinn Fein vice-president, in a statement, described the encounter with Mr Blair and Mr Ahern as "a good meeting".
Crucially, he added, "the three principles that they put forward, firmly bedded in the terms of the Good Friday agreement, can resolve the impasse if there is the political will." Reporters were unable to ascertain whether this comment was tantamount to the IRA being prepared to disarm by May 2000, the date suggested in the Belfast Agreement, as Mr Doherty would not take questions.
The wording of the statements from the two leaders and from Sinn Fein would appear to suggest that Sinn Fein might be going beyond its position that within the terms of the agreement it would use its "influence" to achieve total IRA disarmament by May next year.
The promise of Sinn Fein exercising influence did not guarantee that the IRA would respond positively to such influence, as Sinn Fein has consistently said it cannot speak for the IRA.
With Mr Doherty refusing to go beyond his prepared statement it was not possible to fully establish whether this marked a significant shift on decommissioning on the part of the broad republican movement.
Mr Doherty, who with the party leader, Mr Gerry Adams, Mr Martin McGuinness and other senior party members met the two leaders yesterday, nonetheless said that "progress is possible" when the talks resume on Monday. Based on Mr Blair's deadline they must conclude by Wednesday.
Mr Blair and Mr Ahern in their statement said yesterday's meetings with the various parties were "constructive and good-natured". "It is clear that the party leaders are seized of the importance of the next few days in taking the peace process forward," they said.
Their statement added: "In particular the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach welcome the fact that while there is acknowledged disagreement about timing and implementation all parties to the Good Friday agreement are committed to the following principles:
"1. An inclusive executive exercising devolved powers.
"2. Decommissioning of all paramilitary arms by May 2000.
"3. Decommissioning to be carried out in a manner determined by the independent Commission on Decommissioning.
"This is welcome progress. It means that discussion on how exactly these three principles can be translated into action can resume here in Belfast on Monday."
Mr Blair said yesterday's talks were a step forward notwithstanding the remaining problems. "However, we are committed to try and resolve them, and as ever we are doing this for the best of reasons. I think all party leaders are doing it for the best of motives, to try and get the children here in Northern Ireland a better future," he added.
Mr Ahern said he hoped that the parties would reflect on yesterday's talks in preparation for three days of talks running from Monday to Wednesday, the deadline for agreement.
Mr David Trimble, the other central player in breaking the deadlock next week, focused particularly on Sinn Fein providing a commitment that the IRA would decommission. While this appeared to signal some shift in his demand for prior decommissioning, Mr Trimble said the Ulster Unionist Party's position on the timing of disarmament was clear. However, there was a hint this was his initial negotiating position.
A commitment to IRA decommissioning was essential, he said. "The crucial foundation block is a commitment to decommissioning of all paramilitary weapons by May 2000. That is the fundamental building block, and we are waiting to hear whether Sinn Fein, speaking on behalf of the republican movement, is unequivocally prepared to commit itself to that," Mr Trimble said.
"This we have not yet heard. We hope that they are on the way themselves to making their own Damascus road conversion, and accepting their obligation to decommission. If that is established then we can start to look at modalities and timing, and, of course, our position on timing is clear and should be clearly understood".
A spokesman for Mr Blair said how and when decommissioning would take place, and whether the paramilitaries were serious about the issue, rested centrally on Gen John de Chastelain, head of the international decommissioning body.
