LASTING PEACE A TRUE MONUMENT TO OMAGH VICTIMS - PAT DOHERTY
Lasting Peace a true monument to Omagh victims - Pat Doherty
A SINN FEIN delegation last week met with the Prime Minister Tony Blair and impressed on him its total commitment to finding a just and lasting peace for the people of the Six Counties.
West Tyrone assembleyman and party Vice-President, Pat Doherty, Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness, and Barbara de Bruin, widely expected to take one of the Executive seats - Tony Blair after his visit to the bomb shattered town last Tuesday.
Speaking to the "Herald" after the meeting, Pat Doherty stressed that Sinn Fein will not be engaging in word games or gimmicking.
"Our commitment to the people of West Tyrone is to establish a just and lasting peace and to ensure that the tragedy that visited this community will to ensure the last of its kind.
"That will be the true monument of the Omagh bombing," he added.
Top of the agenda at the meeting was the ramifications of fallout in relation to special legislation envisaged at the time and the ramifications for
the peace process.
According to Sinn Fein it was a "very frank and straight talking meeting,"at which the party made clear it remains fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement.
It is believed the meeting was crucial in the lead-up to the announcement from Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams this week that the violence
is over.
At the meeting Pat Doherty was to the fore in stressing that part of the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement was to abolish special legislation, which did not reconcile with the British Government's intention to introduce draconian legislation in light of the Omagh atrocity.
He said Sinn Fein had given an absolute commitment that it remains completely wedded to the peace process and seeks to implement all sections of the Agreement.
According to the party the British delegation accepted the Sinn Fein position there would be no link between decommissioning and the party taking seats on the Executive, which it has been mandated to do.
A SINN FEIN delegation last week met with the Prime Minister Tony Blair and impressed on him its total commitment to finding a just and lasting peace for the people of the Six Counties.
West Tyrone assembleyman and party Vice-President, Pat Doherty, Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness, and Barbara de Bruin, widely expected to take one of the Executive seats - Tony Blair after his visit to the bomb shattered town last Tuesday.
Speaking to the "Herald" after the meeting, Pat Doherty stressed that Sinn Fein will not be engaging in word games or gimmicking.
"Our commitment to the people of West Tyrone is to establish a just and lasting peace and to ensure that the tragedy that visited this community will to ensure the last of its kind.
"That will be the true monument of the Omagh bombing," he added.
Top of the agenda at the meeting was the ramifications of fallout in relation to special legislation envisaged at the time and the ramifications for
the peace process.
According to Sinn Fein it was a "very frank and straight talking meeting,"at which the party made clear it remains fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement.
It is believed the meeting was crucial in the lead-up to the announcement from Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams this week that the violence
is over.
At the meeting Pat Doherty was to the fore in stressing that part of the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement was to abolish special legislation, which did not reconcile with the British Government's intention to introduce draconian legislation in light of the Omagh atrocity.
He said Sinn Fein had given an absolute commitment that it remains completely wedded to the peace process and seeks to implement all sections of the Agreement.
According to the party the British delegation accepted the Sinn Fein position there would be no link between decommissioning and the party taking seats on the Executive, which it has been mandated to do.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0280
Published Date: 03-Sep-98
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