On what basis has the ceasefire been declaration of intent to withdraw the troops.
manent ceasefire:
withdrawal of British troops from Somebody's got this mixed up. Let me re-cmphasise for you quile clearly and quite categorically what the terms of reference are for a perL.A declatation of intent from the British Government to withdraw from Ireland, with (al the immediate The third thing is treedom of move movement, and shall we say, the de-escalation of pursuit of known IRA men hy the so-called security forces. Now these things have de facto or curred, We would Ike to see a lot more of it. We would like to see the people who cant at the moment inove frecly around being able to do so, and pet a better feeling themselves from the areas rather than heing dependent on reports froin people There has heen, again, the recog nition by the British Government that there is a need for urgency. Rees stated categorically on tares occasions during his Christmas message that a new situation would prevail with the ongoing process of peace. Now he's got anather 14 days. That gives him a straight 25 days. It's unbelievable You know twe months ago I would have just laughed if anyone had sug gested to me that there would be 25 days of peace. But there's heen 25 days of peace. With the continuation tion? of this peace, they've got basicily a month to make up their minds on what initistives they are going to What sort of initiative are you Well, I've already expressed that We need to get to a stage where we can say: OK, that's fine, and now let's get down to the hard stuff following this declaration of intent. What about the removal altogerber of the British way of life?
We are not saying to Brilain, ger the hell out of here tontow-not because we fear a civil war, but we need someone there to sort of keep a watching brief. And when we are ready to tell the Brits to go the Irish people that is, not just the Republican element when we are teady, we'll turn around to the Brits and suy Right, thanks very much, Vou've done your 800 year time, now get the heil out of it and stay What sort of time-scale for com plete British withdrawal are you That's a difficult one. It depends on the processes, how quickly they develop. It could be anything irom six months to two years. One would not like to think they'd remain any longer than that. But their presence would only be shall we say a 'veiled thing rather than an actual oppres sive thing. We would know they were there, but we'd have to go looking tor them rather than Tall over them.
That's the militury presence?
That's the military presence. The other thing is a slower process, which is point to take time. We don't want to do a General Antin, although sometimes some of the things he did were quite rational. But that would be the obvious way, just boot them all out, But that would only cause economic chaos. Let me put it to you this way. Britain has been responsible for the morass that exists in this country. diecated to so that we sell beet to Britain on Britain's terms. Those days will have to come to an end Another important thing coming up is this question of the Constitutional Convention, What is the attitude of the Provisional Sino Fein going to be to that?
Let's qualify that. You say an Important thing coming up is going to he the Constitutional Convention I's not the slightest hit important lous, I's on a Six County basis It': on a parochial hasis, It's not poing to achieve anything, It's poing to resuit in a massive mandate for the extreme Loyalists-the UUCC is po ing to walk in with 85 per vent of the seats and the SDLP and the Allance Tarly will split the other 153 between them. And then you're has to the executive, the new Assembly which won't last -because the last o one didn'l Last.
So can you say that Sinn Fein will definitely not take part in any way in the Constitutional ConvenI can't say anything because it h not been discussed yet. But asa Sin Feiner, my personal opinion would be that it's another non-event. What joes it mean? What would happen i we all for clected and everybody had representatives there? Easide a week there wonld be a punch-up. It's a Bri tish solution, and British-imposed solutions have never worked and nev or will work The only solution that will work on this istand is a solution arrived al, nepotinted by, and agreed to by the Irish people. That covers it-lock stock, and barrel.
But the fact remaios that if the Loyalists win 85% of the seats in the Constitutional Convention, that's a problem that can't be sidestepped. How do you propose to deal with the What you've got to do is create the right climate. OK, you have peace al the minute temporary though it may be. You create a situation where you say to them: "Look, here we've got peace. We have giver you this peace in an atrempt to get you to lis ten to us, to understand what we're talking about."
Then we produce on the table all of our programme, our social and co