The IRA's statement pledging to put its arms verifiably beyond use is being put "at risk" because of Ulster Unionist demands for a dilution of the Patten proposals on policing, a senior Sinn Fein source has warned.
As the Ulster Unionist Party continues to press for concessions from the British government on Patten and the flying of the British Union flag, Sinn Fein sounded a stark warning that such moves could jeopardise the IRA statement of May 6th.
Sinn Fein called a special briefing for selected journalists in Belfast yesterday where a senior par ty figure emphatically warned against the UUP attempting to impose conditions on Ulster Unionist acceptance of the Hillsborough blueprint. "The IRA initiative is at risk due to policing," the Sinn Fein source said. He complained that the Police Bill published by the British government last week had undermined Patten in an effort to woo unionists. "What they've done on Patten has placed the IRA statement at risk." Following ein president Mr Gerry Adams's weekend comments by Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams that he could not at present recommend nationalists to join the proposed police force, the source said modification of Patten would effectively exclude nationalists from policing.
"The British government cannot sacrifice the new police service for the Ulster Unionist Party," he said, adding that for republicans, policing was a "touchstone issue".
As it stands, the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, has reserved the right to be the final arbiter on the flying of the Union flag, following consultation between the parties. The Sinn Fein figure insisted that were Mr Martin McGuinness and Ms Bairbre de Brun to return to Stormont as ministers, they would not tolerate it flying over their departments.
In relation to flags, he said, it had to be "both flags or no flags". The Sinn Fein source indicated some expectation that the amendments to Patten in the Police Bill would be changed during its passage through Westminster. He retained confidence that the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, would not seek to incorporate the RUC title into the name of the new force because he has "yet to put the RUC into the title of the new service".
The source said that if the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, lost the Ulster Unionist Council vote on Saturday, "the Good Friday agreement will be finished". He added: "Failure on Saturday will show that the UUP can't live in the real world."
The SDLP also complained about the amendments to the Po lice Bill. The party spokesman on policing, Mr Alex Attwood, said it would take its case to Westminster to brief politicians on its concerns.
The Police ombudsman-designate for Northern Ireland, Ms Nuala O'Loan, also expressed some concern about the amendments to the Bill, particularly in relation to her ability to have full access to police files relating to investigations of complaints against the police. The Bill says that the police chief constable and the proposed policing board could provide the ombudsman with access to information she "may reasonably require".
Ms O'Loan said she needed a clearer statement that she would have proper access to statements.
Mr Tommy Gallagher, the SDLP MLA for Fermanagh-South Tyrone, urged UUC members to consider carefully the "benefits to the whole community" reinstatement of the Executive and the Assembly would mean.
