NORTHERN IRELAND: BELFAST: FIRST FORUM IS BOYCOTTED BY SINN FEIN

(14 Jun 1996) English/Nat The Northern Ireland peace forum has held its first session despite a boycott by the I-R-A's political wing, Sinn Fein. There was also wrangling among the Protestant unionist parties. The forum, which was elected two weeks ago, will debate the political future of the province but will have no legislative powers. Its first day, like the Stormont talks which began on Monday, has been dominated by the issue of the chairman. The 110 member peace forum met for the first time in a converted store on the edge of Belfast city centre in Northern Ireland. It was elected May 30th and without executive or legislative powers, is effectively a talking shop. Ten political parties will take part. The forum will meet on the days when the Stormont talks launched on Monday, are not being held. They were dominated by Unionist squabbles over the chairmanship of former U-S Senator George Mitchell. Friday's forum session got under way with a Catholic Unionist in the chairman's seat - 73 year old businessman John Gorman. This is his first venture into politics as an Ulster Unionist but he's only an interim chairman The first item on the forum's agenda is to decide whether he will stay. There has already been criticism from the within the Unionist camp about his suitability for the role amid allegations that he would lean towards the Republicans. A criticism Gorman refutes. SOUNDBITE: I believe it to be unjustified and I give my utmost to be totally even-handed and to give everybody a chance to say their piece today. And if I'm asked to do so on future occasions. SUPER CAPTION: John Gorman, Peace Forum Interim Chairman But the Democratic Unionist Party objected to comments by Gorman about Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams - comments Gorman later withdrew. SOUNDBITE: We have the right to say who will be the permanent chairman all of us and Mr Gorman went on record as saluting Mr Adams as a fellow soldier and said he stood in great admiration in his eyes for what happened in the last 18 months and we had ten IRA murders when they planned the Canary Wharf atrocity, when they attacked the police 190 times and burned something like 80 places of worship and Orange halls, and other buildings and they carried out some terrible and dastardly beatings and how he could view that as great discipline on behalf a fellow soldier called Gerry Adams I don't understand. SUPER CAPTION: Reverend Ian Paisley, Democratic Unionist Party The main Ulster Unionist Party wasted no time in hitting out at Sinn Fein for boycotting the talks. SOUNDBITE: One disappointment however will be, that it looks as though Sinn Fein which talks very much about its mandate is not here to honour that mandate and to represent the people who voted for them. And I think the boycott of these democratic proceedings by Sinn Fein shows that its commitment to democracy is as hypocritical as its commitment to peace. SUPER CAPTION: David Trimble, Ulster Unionist Leader Sinn Fein won 17 of the forum's 110 seats but refuses to take part because of its exclusion from the main peace negotiations. They were barred from the main talks because there was no renewed I-R-A ceasefire. Gerry Adams Sinn Fein's leader chose instead to attend the official opening of a new business in his heartland, the Catholics Falls Road. Electronic Health Care Ireland which provides computer information for hospitals will bring 20 much needed jobs. SOUNDBITE: SUPER CAPTION: Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein Leader The Stormont peace talks resume on Wednesday. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...