Good Friday Peace Accords

GOOD FRIDAY PEACE ACCORDS -- (House of Representatives - September 14, 2004)

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.

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.