Peace Talks May Expel Sinn Fein British Government Raises Issue With Big Implications

Always uncertain and explosive, the Northern Ireland peace talks sunk into a political and legal quagmire on Monday over the critical question of whether to expel Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The British government raised the issue of Sinn Fein’s expulsion with the seven political parties in the negotiations, then the meeting at Dublin Castle - the former bastion of British control in Ireland - disbanded so the parties could formulate their positions.

But a second meeting never took place. At this meeting, the British and Irish governments, sponsors of the talks, was to hear all the arguments concerning Sinn Fein’s continued participation and make the final decision. But that crucial session was delayed for a day, when a decision is not guaranteed, illustrating the sensitivities and disagreements involved.

Whatever the governments decide, the implications are enormous.

Sinn Fein’s expulsion could lead to republican violence, maybe scuttle the talks entirely, and would almost surely stall the negotiations until Sinn Fein is readmitted, which could happen after several weeks of republican nonviolence.

If Sinn Fein is allowed to stay, the democratic framework of the talks would be tarnished and the Ulster Unionists might bolt, which would surely wreck the negotiations.

At the same time, however, no party wants to be held responsible for destroying the talks.

Britain’s presentation Monday was viewed in some quarters as an indictment of Sinn Fein, which won a seat at the table because of an IRA truce declared last July, and the IRA over the alleged IRA links to two murders last week in Belfast.

But the presentation fell short of being a detailed accusation against the IRA because Britain fears that releasing evidence would prejudice a court case against the four men charged in one of the murders.

The Irish and British governments downplayed their apparent differences over Sinn Fein’s fate. The Irish government, which hints that the expulsion of Sinn Fein is not a foregone conclusion, said it did not join Britain in raising the question of Sinn Fein’s role in the talks because only Britain possessed the police evidence about the IRA’s alleged participation in the murders.

Sinn Fein’s links to the IRA are critical because participants in the talks have pledged to obey principles of democracy and nonviolence.

Sinn Fein, which represents Catholic republicans who favor a united Ireland, immediately took the offensive to save its seat.

An angry Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein’s leader, accused other parties in the talks of “working to exploit” the two murders “and bring this process down.”

Deputy Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness said the accusation against his party “amounts to a kangaroo court, a lynch mob of Ulster Unionists being led by the British government.”

“We’re not going to be put out of these negotiations without a fight,” McGuinness said. “We’re going to contest this attempt to have us ejected every step of the way. We are not in these talks as the political representative of any armed group, unlike others.”

But David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, the largest Protestant party which favors continued union with Britain, said confidently, “I think it’s a fairly open and shut case” against Sinn Fein.