[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16136-16137]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      IMPASSE IN IMPLEMENTING THE NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE AGREEMENT

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, today the people of Northern Ireland were 
denied an opportunity to take a major step forward in making the 
promise of peace contained in the Good Friday Peace Accords a daily 
reality. Today, David Trimble, President of the Ulster Unionist Party, 
refused to lend his party's critical support to the implementation of a 
key provision of that agreement--the establishment of a Northern 
Ireland legislature and the appointment of its twelve member, 
multiparty executive. Ironically, in refusing to cooperate in the 
formation of the assembly, the Ulster Unionists are further away from 
their stated goal of ensuring IRA decommissioning of its weapons at the 
earliest possible date.
  Regrettably, despite the herculean efforts of British Prime Minister 
Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to move the process 
forward, the so called d'Hondt mechanism provided for in the agreement 
has been run and an attempt to form an executive with cross community 
support has failed. I am deeply disappointed that the leadership of the 
Ulster Unionist Party has been unable to garner the necessary support 
of its membership to honor the obligations that the leadership 
committed that party to when it signed the Accords on April 8, 1998. 
More importantly, the people of Northern Ireland, who turned out in 
large numbers to participate in last year's referendum endorsing the 
Good Friday Accords, must also be deeply disappointed that once again 
their political leaders have fallen short, let this deadline pass and 
jeopardized the peace process.
  Where do we go from here? Prime Minister Blair and Taoiseach Ahern 
will meet next week to reassess the situation, including the 
possibility of implementing those provisions of the agreement that fall 
within the mandate of the British and Irish Governments. In addition, 
the parties are required by the terms of the agreement to undertake a 
fundamental review at this juncture. In the meantime, I would hope that 
the people of Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, who stand the 
most to lose if this agreement is allowed to wither on the vine, will 
let their political leaders know how disappointed they are that the 
agreement is not being implemented in good faith. I would also call 
upon those who have resorted to violence in the past to refrain from 
doing so--violence can never resolve the political and sectarian 
conflicts of Northern Ireland.
  Mr. President, for more than a quarter of a century Protestants and 
Catholics throughout the North have lived in fear that a trip to the 
movies or the market place could prove to be a fatal one because 
sectarian violence has been a common occurrence in their daily lives. 
The Northern Ireland Peace agreement was designed to end the cycle of 
violence that has destroyed so many families in Northern Ireland. It 
can still accomplish that goal. There is still time for all of the 
parties to find the political courage to do the right thing for the 
people who they claim to represent.
  Mr. President, I like to think of myself as a realist, yet despite 
the events

[[Page 16137]]

of the last several days I am optimistic that the Good Friday Accords 
remain the key to unlocking the formula for a lasting peace throughout 
Ireland. With the help of the British, Irish and American governments, 
there is still time for Northern Ireland's political leaders to find 
within themselves the courage to move forward with the implementation 
of the Accords. I hope and pray they do so before that time runs out.

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