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| Haass document needs clear response says Gerry Adams | Haass document needs clear response says Gerry Adams |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Stormont's parties must be clear in their response to proposals about contentious issues, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said. | Stormont's parties must be clear in their response to proposals about contentious issues, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said. |
| Months of negotiations about parades, flags and the legacy of the Troubles ended with no deal on proposals drawn up by US diplomat Richard Haass. | Months of negotiations about parades, flags and the legacy of the Troubles ended with no deal on proposals drawn up by US diplomat Richard Haass. |
| Sinn Féin's talks team will recommend that its party executive endorses the document when it meets on 11 January. | Sinn Féin's talks team will recommend that its party executive endorses the document when it meets on 11 January. |
| Mr Adams said the other parties "should not fudge their response". | Mr Adams said the other parties "should not fudge their response". |
| He said the British and Irish governments and the parties must "grasp the opportunity that now exists to resolve outstanding issues". | He said the British and Irish governments and the parties must "grasp the opportunity that now exists to resolve outstanding issues". |
| 'Give and take' | 'Give and take' |
| "Sinn Féin would like to have seen some aspects of the proposed agreement strengthened and improved further," he said. | "Sinn Féin would like to have seen some aspects of the proposed agreement strengthened and improved further," he said. |
| "More work is required on parity of esteem, equality and respect for all cultures and identities. However agreement on everything was not possible. | "More work is required on parity of esteem, equality and respect for all cultures and identities. However agreement on everything was not possible. |
| "Negotiation is about give and take; it's about making concessions and accepting that there can be no outright winners." | "Negotiation is about give and take; it's about making concessions and accepting that there can be no outright winners." |
| On Thursday night, the the SDLP formally endorsed the Haass proposals. | |
| Party leader Alasdair McDonnell said he was optimistic the stumbling blocks could be overcome. | |
| He said he was writing to the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister "demanding" that they set about establishing a "five-party group that will work on the issues that were raised there, that will work on completing the work that was done". | |
| He added: "We believe there is much to be gained... but there is still a bit of work to be done. | |
| "Richard Haass certainly created the space for us to get the resolution of those outstanding issues." | |
| The Ulster Unionist Party's ruling executive is to be briefed by its talks team on Monday. | The Ulster Unionist Party's ruling executive is to be briefed by its talks team on Monday. |
| Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said the party would "reach a decision on the way forward" at that stage. | Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said the party would "reach a decision on the way forward" at that stage. |
| "However, this was an initiative from Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, and it falls to them to outline how they see this process moving forward," he added. | "However, this was an initiative from Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, and it falls to them to outline how they see this process moving forward," he added. |
| Mr Nesbitt said the "major problem with getting the process back on track is that the Alliance Party cherry-picked the final document, something entirely against the spirit of what Dr Haass requested". | Mr Nesbitt said the "major problem with getting the process back on track is that the Alliance Party cherry-picked the final document, something entirely against the spirit of what Dr Haass requested". |
| DUP leader Peter Robinson said on Wednesday that the momentum from the Haass talks should not be lost and he would support Dr Haass's suggestion that a cross-party working group should be created to assess how to move things forward. | DUP leader Peter Robinson said on Wednesday that the momentum from the Haass talks should not be lost and he would support Dr Haass's suggestion that a cross-party working group should be created to assess how to move things forward. |
| Dr Haass, who was brought to Northern Ireland with co-chair Prof Meghan O'Sullivan in July by the first and deputy first ministers, said that while a final agreement had not been reached by the New Year's Eve deadline, "significant progress" had been made and there was a "basis" for change. | Dr Haass, who was brought to Northern Ireland with co-chair Prof Meghan O'Sullivan in July by the first and deputy first ministers, said that while a final agreement had not been reached by the New Year's Eve deadline, "significant progress" had been made and there was a "basis" for change. |