Blair says N. Ireland poll will go ahead but crisis remains

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Blair says N. Ireland poll will go ahead but crisis remains

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in Belfast on Tuesday night that the November 26 poll for the Northern Ireland Assembly will go ahead although the current crisis remain unresolved.

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British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in Belfast on Tuesday night that the November 26 poll for the Northern Ireland Assembly will go ahead although the current crisis remain unresolved.

"Yes, the election's going ahead but it depends what atmosphere it goes ahead in," Blair said at a joint press conference with his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern in the capital city of the province.

The Northern Ireland peace process was dealt a big blow as Protestant leader David Trimble said the IRA's big disarmament act, announced earlier Tuesday, was "not enough".

Blair described the setback as "frustrating" but said: "We cannot resolve the Northern Ireland crisis tonight but will keep trying."

"It is better that we make sure that the right discussions take place between the parties and we try and get it resolved over the next couple of days," Blair added.

Trimble argued in a statement issued ahead of Blair's remarks that he needed more evidence of the weapons decommissioned by the IRA.

"What we need in this situation was a clear transparent report of major acts of decommissioning... Unfortunately we have not had that," Trimble claimed.

In response, Gerry Adams, leader of the IRA's political wing Sein Fein, said he didn't know how the situation "could be sorted out."

"We as a leadership are profoundly disappointed and surprised at this latest turn of events," he said.

Adams, in some of the strongest words Sinn Fein has used in support of the peace process, said he welcomed the announcement of elections date earlier on Tuesday and his party was "opposed to the use or threat of force for any political purpose".

Later, General John de Chastelain, the head of the independent decommissioning body, said the IRA has conducted its third act of decommissioning of arms, which was "considerably larger" than the previous time.

Meanwhile, the IRA announced: "We have also authorized a further act of putting arms beyond use. This will be verified under the agreed scheme."

The Northern Ireland Assembly elections were postponed in May over what the British government called a lack of clarity about the IRA's future intentions.

Northern Ireland has been plagued by three decades of political and sectarian violence between Protestants committed to keeping the union with Britain and Catholics who want to end it and unite with the Irish Republic.

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