If Northern Ireland's institutions are to be restored then republicans have "to do their share" in totally separating themselves from paramilitarism – Ambassador Richard Haass said yesterday.
In an interview with the Irish News Dr Haass, who was in London for talks with the British government and Northern Ireland politicians, voiced his hopes that the assembly election would go ahead in the autumn.
He was asked if there was a temptation now within republicanism to sit back and laugh at the current crisis within unionism? And was there not a responsibility also on republicanism to move the political process forward in terms of getting the IRA to determine its future and deal with decommissioning?
Dr Haass said he has "not encountered any laughter... because everyone suffers from the lack of self-rule".
"This is literally one of those situations where everybody benefits or no-one benefits. So, I don't detect any laughter from the republican side," he said.
"But I agree with what you said that it still behoves republicans to take steps to demonstrate that they are prepared to pursue their political goals by solely political means. This is a factor of what it is they are prepared to say – what it is they are prepared to do.
"And ultimately if institutions are to be restored, and once they are restored if they are to remain operational, then republicans have to do their share, and above all that means totally separating themselves from any paramilitarism, supporting policing and so forth. Everyone has obligations as well as benefits."
Dr Haass also called on the loyalist paramilitaries to deal with their future and decommissioning.
"The call for the end of all paramilitarism is across the political spectrum, just like the calls for a quiet summer, go across the spectrum," Dr Haass said.
He was asked about his analysis of the crisis within unionism and what impact it will have on the Good Friday agreement and the joint declaration?
"Big questions are hard to answer. It is obviously for unionists to sort out. They have got to decide their political future, they have got to decide their political strategy," Dr Haass said.
"My own view, the political reality is the Good Friday agreement, it is the joint declaration, and I think those documents offer unionists a good and fair deal. Again it is for unionists to sort out their own politics, not for me or any other outsider."
It was put to Dr Haass that if the Good Friday agreement was not dead then at least the centrepiece of it (the powersharing executive) was damaged and that it could be four or five years before devolution might be restored?
"I don't have a crystal ball. It has been eight or nine months since, I guess, you had the local institutions up and running. I think that is unfortunate," Dr Haass said.
"I think everyone is served better by having the local institution and having a large degree of self-rule.
"Again I take issue with the notion that the Good Friday agreement is in any way dead. It is still the foundation for any political future."
He was further asked if Northern Ireland was in for a protracted period of direct rule, with bells on? Some political observers believe that unionists are shooting themselves in the foot as part of the joint declaration will go ahead and in fact London and Belfast will administer the north without unionist input?
"Everyone including unionists would be better off if the institutions were up and running and if they had a meaningful say in their own political life," Ambassador Haass said.
"But if it turns out for whatever political reason or reasons that you can't get institutions up and running, then I do hope that one has as much implementation of the joint declaration as is possible.
"The joint declaration is a positive document. It has a lot in it for everybody. The two governments should implement as much as they can, as fast as they can, preferable alongside the functioning of the institutions, but if need be without them."
He was asked given the political stalemate – what will be the thrust now of US policy in the north of Ireland?
"To build on your question... it is to end the stalemate. What I am here doing is exploring formulae for moving things ahead," he said.
"My goal is to see elections held this Fall (autumn), and to see the standing up of the local institutions. What I am trying to figure out is how to get from here to there. It is that simple and it is that complicated."
He acknowledged that clearly there were ongoing debates within republicanism and unionism, and "one would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to realise that".
Yesterday Dr Haass had separate meetings in London with Secretary of State Paul Murphy, Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness, and SDLP leader Mark Durkan.
Mr Murphy said he was delighted that Dr Haass has retained his responsibility for Northern Ireland (as President George Bush's special envoy) following his recent appointment as president of the US Council on Foreign Relations.
"There is much work to be done on all sides if we are to succeed in restoring trust and confidence and re-instate devolved government in the autumn," Mr Murphy said.
"Northern Ireland is best governed through local ministers making local decisions."
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness said: "There is a growing awareness that the political vacuum we are currently in is very dangerous and has to be filled with political momentum.
"Central to that is the holding of the assembly elections, cancelled twice already by the British government."
Mr McGuinness said he had no knowledge about the internal workings of the Ulster Unionist Party but everyone wanted to see unionism sort itself out and come to the process with a very clearly pro-agreement stance.
"The Sinn Féin leadership will continue with our deliberations with the governments and with the Ulster Unionists over the summer period," he said.
"I think all of us accept that it is crucially important that we continue to speak to one and other."
