[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18438]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       GOOD FRIDAY PEACE ACCORDS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, 6 years ago this past April, the people of 
Northern Ireland, Great Britain, and the republic of Ireland entered 
into a peace agreement, commonly referred to as the Good Friday 
Agreement. This legendary accord set out a framework that would allow 
Northern Ireland to govern itself and provide for a rule of law that 
was responsible to all people in the north of Ireland.
  Unfortunately, 6 years later, much of the agreement has been stalled, 
derailed or simply never implemented.
  Mr. Speaker, it is almost 2 years now since Prime Minister Blair 
suspended the power-sharing government of Northern Ireland, and almost 
10 months have passed since elections were held in Northern Ireland to 
the Belfast Assembly. However, the peace agreement remains stalled and 
no elected Assembly members have been permitted to take their seats.
  I believe it is essential that the Good Friday Accords be fully 
implemented for a true and lasting peace to be achieved in Northern 
Ireland. The Assembly must be reinstated immediately and let the 
process continue.
  Later this week, we see our best opportunity for the reimplementation 
of these Accords.
  All the parties to the agreement, including Sinn Fein, the DUP, and 
Prime Ministers Blair and Ahern, are set to meet at Leeds Castle to try 
and work out a solution to reinstate the Belfast Assembly and get the 
Good Friday Agreement back on track.
  Recently, Prime Minister Blair was quoted in press reports stating 
that this may be the last chance to save the Good Friday Accords. Also, 
rumors are circulating that if an agreement is not made at Leeds, Prime 
Minister Blair will return Northern Ireland to direct rule of the 
British Government.
  Mr. Speaker, this is simply unacceptable. While I agree that a 
solution must be found to reinstate the Accords, I think Prime Minister 
Blair's words may be too harsh. We cannot allow these monumental 
Accords to be just discarded. Too much hard work and negotiation has 
gone into the process, and we are too close to a final peace to just 
throw it all away.
  However, the negotiations at Leeds do give me great hope. Having all 
parties at the same table in a formal setting with only peace as a 
priority is the most positive development since the elections were 
announced more than a year ago.

                              {time}  2320

  Now it is up to Prime Ministers Blair and Ahern to force the hand of 
Reverend Paisley and the DUP, the Democratic Union Party, ensuring that 
any deal brokered is in fact in good faith. Ian Paisley and the DUP 
have been holding the peace agreement in Northern Ireland hostage for 
too long. All other parties are ready to reinstate the Assembly and the 
Good Friday Accords. Blair and Ahern cannot allow this radical party to 
continue to halt the peace process.
  I am concerned if Prime Minister Blair does not keep the DUP in check 
during these negotiations, the Good Friday Accords will fall by the 
wayside.
  Mr. Speaker, while the DUP is a major political party in Northern 
Ireland, their constituency is not so large that they should be able to 
stop the peace from progressing. I want to remind Mr. Blair that he has 
the ability and the means to implement the Accords with or without the 
cooperation of Reverend Paisley and the DUP. The Good Friday Accords 
have been approved by the voters of Northern Ireland, Great Britain, 
and the Republic of Ireland. Prime Ministers Blair and Ahern have a 
responsibility to exercise the people's will.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would say that the Good Friday Accords are 
the vehicle to peace, and no matter the circumstance, the leaders in 
Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland should not 
walk away from the process. We are too close to peace to let it all 
fall apart.

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