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At its meeting in Belfast this morning , Thursday 29-10-98, the General Board of the Presbyterian Church has called on elected politicians to co-operate together in continuing to implement the Agreement, and also called on paramilitaries to fulfil their moral obligations in decommissioning.
In a report received by the Board it said that co-operation must become a reality but in order to do that trust must be built between the elected representatives of the people. This can be established by the steady implementation of the Agreement and the new institutions envisaged in it.
The report went on to say that there was an obligation on everyone to 'reassure one another by both words and actions.' ' The very rapid release of prisoners, which many people find difficult to tolerate, and the decommissioning of weapons, which paramilitary groups declare that they have difficulty in doing are both political necessities and actual and symbolic evidences of good faith.' The Board did not wish to see what it described as 'the potential for a peaceful and co-operative future' collapse.
In other resolutions the Board expressed its sympathy to the relatives of those killed and to those injured in the Omagh bombing. The Board also congratulated John Hume and David Trimble on the award of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The full text of the resolutions is:
- The Board expresses its sympathy to the relatives of those killed and to those who have been injured as a result of the bomb in Omagh and prays that they may experience the comfort of God's Holy Spirit so that they may cope with the awesome losses they have sustained.
- The Board conveys its congratulations to Mr John Hume and Mr David Trimble on the award of the Nobel Peace Prize and applauds the political leadership which they both have shown.
- The Board believes the potential for a peaceful and co-operative future should not be collapsed either over the decommissioning impasse or over any unwillingness to implement the Agreement. The Board calls upon elected politicians to work together in implementing the Agreement and further calls upon paramilitary groups to fulfil their moral obligations in decommissioning their weapons.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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