SDLP leader Mark Durkan has said that at today's round-table talks he will be asking Sinn Féin to "face up to reality" – because the truth is that IRA activity helped to collapse the political institutions.
In a statement last night (Wednesday) Mr Durkan said that without an end to IRA activity the institutions could not be revived.
Mr Durkan said Sinn Féin could not pretend that all the responsibility for making progress lay with others.
In an obvious reference to the unionists, Mr Durkan added that all parties said they wanted a normal society and that was why all parties must attend these talks.
He said it was hard to see how anyone who wanted to see a normal society could justify boycotting talks.
Mr Durkan said his party wanted to see a normal society in which people did not have to worry about paramilitaries, loyalist or republican, "and where people do not have to worry about parties and the links they have to these paramilitaries".
He said he wished to see "a normal society with routinely unarmed policing from unfortified police stations and where our own politicians
take control of key policing and criminal justice decisions".
Paramilitarism, policing and demilitarisation are the key issues on the table at today's political talks at Stormont – but it appears that once again unionists will be missing from the meeting.
Sinn Féin, SDLP, Alliance and Women's Coalition will attend the round-table discussions, to be chaired by Secretary of State Paul Murphy and the Republic's foreign affairs minister, Brian Cowen.
UUP leader David Trimble has, however, decided to boycott the talks and the PUP will also not be attending as it contends that the real discussions are taking place at Downing Street between Sinn Féin and the British government.
It remains to be seen whether the UUP will assign any representatives to attend today's meeting but unionist sources yesterday indicated that this was unlikely.
Irish government sources expressed disappointment at the likely absence of unionists from the round-table meeting.
"There are a number of issues to be discussed
in terms of paramilitarism but also including policing and normalisation," a source said.
"This will be about what the parties think is necessary to be done in relation to these issues in order that the Good Friday Agreement be fully implemented. It is a pity that certain parties appear to have chosen not to turn up."
It is understood that there may be a prelimin-
ary discussion on the principles surrounding devolution of policing and justice.
These are considered the big issues that need an airing with an input from the parties into the discussions, so that their views are known and heard and so that when a package emerges they feel some ownership of it.
There have been intensive discussions between British and Irish officials in the course of this week but it is too early yet to say what pro-
gress has been made in drawing up an outline implementation plan.
It is expected that a date will be fixed for the next implementation group meeting soon because the issues of victims and reconciliation still have to be discussed.
Alliance leader David Ford said last night that the review must deal with more than just the issue of decommissioning. There was a need for action to improve community relations across a range of areas, he said.
Mr Ford welcomed the consultation document published this week on a shared future but also said it was weak and timid in places.
"Five years after the Good Friday Agreement a fundamental question remains for this society. Are we going to attempt merely to manage the divisions in Northern Ireland or are we going to actively seek to build a united community, respecting diversity and treating all citizens equally?" he said.
As the British and Irish governments and the pro-agreement parties work to try and pull together the outline of a deal there is also ongoing contact with the United States administration.
President George W Bush's special adviser Richard Haass arrives next week for talks in London, Dublin and Belfast to bring himself up to speed on the latest developments in the peace process.
Mr Haass is due to travel from Dublin to Belfast on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday he will have a series of meetings with all the political parties.
Yesterday Mr Haass had talks with Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness, who is on a visit to the US.
Meanwhile, there are reports from Washington that Mr Haass may depart from his current job to take up a top position as president of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Earlier this week the Washington Post reported that the council would offer him the position.
The council presidency is described as one of the top non-governmental foreign policy positions in the US.
Mr Haass has not yet commented on the report.
However, a State Department official noted that Mr Haass was "fully engaged on Northern Ireland" and emphasised that "he is not leaving for the forseeable future".
It is thought that Mr Haass will continue to be closely engaged in the peace process for several months.
If he took the Council on Foreign Relations job – and there has been no confirmation or denial of the offer – his departure would be seen as a great loss to the peace process, particularly by the British and Irish governments.
Mr Haass is a seasoned diplomat who is perceived as having a tough but fair approach in talks. He is in regular contact with all of Northern Ireland's political parties.
