Parties need to build on the engagement that
they have had over the last few days, SDLP Senior Negotiator Sean Farren MLA
has stated. Speaking at the close of an
intense series of meetings Mr Farren said:
“Although at times the talks have been
heated and tense, for the first time in a long time we have had all the parties
around the one table. Although far from
a breakthrough, that’s progress. Now is
the time to build on it by keeping up real dialogue between the parties.
After all, the disagreements that we have
to overcome are overwhelmingly between the parties. So it’s dialogue between them that we need - not endless
bilaterals with the governments or secret side deals.
Of course, the talks did not achieve
nearly enough. The DUP remains wedded
to endless preconditions for Government.
The Alliance has also backed large parts of their anti-Agreement stance. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein is still sticking to
its senseless preconditions for policing too
It is only through talking and negotiation that we can get parties to drop the preconditions and obstacles that they are putting in the way of progress. So let’s keep up the dialogue. After all, parties have nothing to lose and everything to gain by talking to each other.”