McGuinness harps on home rule

LONDON, APRIL. 8. The Sinn Fein chief negotiator, Mr. Martin McGuinness said in an interview broadcast yesterday that it was unlikely that the paramilitaries would lay down their weapons unless Britain reinstated home rule in Northern Ireland.

Mr. McGuinness, speaking before Sinn Fein holds its annual conference on Saturday, said the Irish Republican Army (IRA) could be persuaded to destroy their weapons ``by making politics work and by putting politicians in the driving seat''. Britain suspended the landmark ruling coalition of Catholic Republicans and Protestant Unionists after the IRA, which is Sinn Fein's political ally, refused to hand in weapons.

``The reality is that we are as anxious as anyone else to deal with this issue (disarmament) but the way it has been handled has been wrong from the beginning,'' Mr. McGuinness said in a BBC interview. ``I remain committed to the peace process,'' he added. ``I would contend that the Sinn Fein leadership have risked their lives for the peace process.'' The Good Friday peace accord is dependent on the paramilitaries handing in their weapons by a May 22 deadline but Mr. McGuinness said the deadline had become irrelevant due to the interference of the British Government in the peace process.

The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr. David Trimble has said any chance of political agreement in Northern Ireland is dependent on IRA disarmament.

- Reuters

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