 			Irish News
                  FRAME WORK DOCUMENT
                   "BOTTOM LINE" IN TALKS
                             By William Graham
 
26 September 1997 
The bottom  line for Sinn Fein in the Stormont negotiations  will be the 1995 
Framework document, senior republican sources disclosed last night. 

In reality this means that if a settlement was reached, perhaps within the parameters 
of the Framework document, then the  republican objective of a united Ireland 
would still be pursued but "without conflict". 

This political signal from inside Sinn Fein is interpreted as a particularly significant 
development just days before the multi-party talks at Stormont get down to the 
business of substantive negotiations. 

A meeting of the talks business committee at Stormont (which 
will draw members from all the parties including the UUP and 
Sinn Fein) is scheduled for Tuesday. This will deal with the 
mechanics of how the three-stranded negotiations proceed. 

Each of the parties, the UUP, SDLP, Sinn Fein, Alliance, 
Women's Coalition, Labour, UDP and PUP will have their own 
proposals to put on the negotiating table in the difficult months 
ahead. 

It is recognised however that the 1995 Framework document, 
drawn up by the British and Irish governments, clearly sketched 
out some outlines of a settlement. 

The Framework document recognises that new political 
structures within Northern Ireland must receive cross-community 
agreement. And a key proposal is that a cross-border body of 
elected representatives of a new Northern Ireland assembly and 
the Dail might have limited and agreed executive, consultative 
and harmonising powers. 

Yesterday republican sources indicated that "the Framework 
document is the bottom line". 

The political interpretation of this suggestion is that Sinn Fein 
is continuing its process of transformation which it embarked on 
over ten years ago. 

Sinn Fein would obviously prefer an agenda which was about 
the British government leaving Ireland on a set date. But the 
perception now is that republicans have broken out of their 
political isolation and are working towards an amended strategy. 

Inside Sinn Fein the belief is that they are developing a broader 
republican and democratic position and that is resulting in wider 
support. 

The current political negotiations are seen as a particular phase 
and area of struggle for Sinn Fein. 

According to one senior republican source: "We are going to go 
on trying to achieve the objective of Irish unity, and hopefully 
we can get as far as possible through this. And if there is a proper 
peace settlement this means these objectives can be pursued 
without a conflict." 

The Framework document stated that the British government has 
no selfish, strategic or economic interest in Northern Ireland 
and that they will uphold the democratic wish of a greater number of 
the people of Northern Ireland on the issue of whether they 
prefer to support the union or a sovereign united Ireland. 

It will be interesting to see what room for manoeuvre there is 
between, for example, unionists and Sinn Fein in bridging 
positions on key issues such as a northern assembly, the extent 
of north-south institutions, and whether there can be a radical 
transformation of the situation. 

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday said the move into substantive 
talks marked a tremendous breakthrough. 

"It is an historical agreement and an historical opportunity." 

He also spoke of the possibility of meeting UUP leader David 
Trimble "whenever it is useful". 

SDLP leader John Hume has also referred to the breakthrough as 
"truly historic". 

DUP leader Ian Paisley accused UUP leader David Trimble of 
betrayal for staying at the table with Sinn Fein. 

"The union is in the hands of a negotiating body with Sinn Fein 
at the steering wheel," Mr Paisley said. 

UKUP leader Robert McCartney said: "I will never join a 
process designed in accordance with Mo Mowlam's policy to 
achieve Irish unity." 

Mr Trimble replied that it was the government who had been at 
fault for allowing Sinn Fein to stay in talks. He said: "I'm not 
going to let them drive me out of contact with other parties. The 
 overriding concern for us is that the union is defended and we 
can't do that from long distance." 
 1997 Irish News 