Politicians in the North have given a mixed reaction to yesterday's IRA statement on the arms issue. The IRA stated it had met the international decommissioning body on four occasions since March.
The continuing discussions were "clear and irrefutable" evidence of its commitment. "We reiterate our view that the resolution of the issue of arms is a necessary step in a genuine peace process", added the statement.
The North's First Minister and UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, said the statement was disappointing because only a third inspection of a number of arms dumps had occurred. His ban on Sinn Fein Ministers attending North-South Ministerial council meetings would remain, he said.
"It has not been broadened to include other dumps as well. What we have not seen is any progress on putting weapons beyond use." Mr Trimble claimed it proved his threat to resign as First Minister on July 1st was working.
"The experience of republicans has been that they only move when they are under pressure. We gave them a year from May last year to May this year and then when we applied some pressure, bingo, we get a statement."
Mr Trimble predicted a "flurry of activity" after the election but "from my point of view there is nothing to negotiate; there is simply a promise to be fulfilled".
The anti-agreement Ulster Unionist MP, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, last night called for the ejection of Mr Martin McGuinness and Ms Bairbre de Brun of Sinn Fein from the North's Executive if IRA decommissioning did not commence by the end of June. "We have had three years of statements, talks and meetings but absolutely no product," he said.
A Sinn Fein Assembly member, Mr Gerry Kelly, welcomed the statement and said the IRA's discussions with Gen de Chastelain's commission would have been "unimaginable" five years ago. "This is unprecedented in republican history that there's been this type of engagement . . ," he said.
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, dismissed the IRA statement as a ploy to "bolster" Mr Trimble prior to the June 7th elections. "We have heard this continually and it always ends the same way. If they think they are going to fool the people of Northern Ireland . . . they must think we are fools. It is an insult," he said.
Mr Alex Attwood of the SDLP said the statement was useful but stressed the arms issue must be addressed after the election. "The community wants to see the outstanding issue fully and finally resolved . . . every measure that can build confidence needs to be taken and further measures to achieve confidence are still required."
The deputy leader of the Alliance party, Mr Seamus Close, said the final pieces of the jigsaw were necessary "and that involves putting arms verifiably beyond use".