Stephen Farry said: “In so strongly rejecting the Haass paper, the UUP are showing their disdain for the people of Northern Ireland who want to see the difficult issues facing this society addressed and who expressed hope that parties would be ambitious in finding innovative solutions.
“Mike Nesbitt himself has some explaining to do. Less than a week ago, he was clearly indicating his intention that the UUP would be giving a positive response. So either he was being disingenuous or he is a willing captive of the extreme elements in our society that are simply not prepared to compromise for the greater good. In particular, the UUP must now explain where it stands on the rule of law and a shared society.
“Alliance recognises that while the outcome from the Haass talks is not perfect, major elements of that package do have the potential to transform this society for the better. All political parties have a duty to recognise the imperative of making progress and to sit down with each other over the coming weeks to see what can be put in place, with dealing with our past seemingly providing the immediate opportunities.”
ENDS