IRA must make democratic intentions clear

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th May 2003

ALLIANCE Deputy Leader Eileen Bell has said that the IRA statements released last night confirm that the organisation has yet to make clear its total commitment to purely peaceful and democratic means.

Mrs Bell said: "Five years on from the signing of the Agreement, it is only reasonable that the public has a right to know that the republican movement has consigned bombs and guns, beatings and exiling, spying and targeting to the history books.

"Continuing paramilitary activity, whether it is loyalist or republican, is incompatible with the democratic society that we are trying to build. Organisations that have used illegal means to further their political aims have a responsibility to let us all know that they are committed to totally peaceful means in the future."