Ken Maginnis, MP and spokesman for Defence and Home Office for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), delivered a statement on 30 October 1996, at the opening plenary session regarding the decommissioning of terrorist weapons. Maginnis criticized the lack of decisive action against the PIRA by various governments and political entities, highlighting the problematic relationship between the SDLP and Sinn Féin/ PIRA [sic], which he argued undermined previous peace talks. He emphasized the necessity of establishing a Disarmament Commission composed of international experts to oversee the decommissioning process, arguing that the PIRA's continued possession of weapons posed a significant threat to peace and stability. Maginnis outlined the UUP's proposal for a Disarmament Commission, which would operate independently of the political process and focus solely on the technical aspects of decommissioning. He criticized the SDLP's approach to decommissioning as overly political and insufficiently focused on security. Maginnis also addressed the broader strategic context, suggesting that the PIRA will not call for a new ceasefire, and warned against complacency in dealing with the PIRA's long-term objectives. He concluded by rejecting any notion of trading political concessions for disarmament, insisting that decommissioning must be a parallel process to political negotiations, not a bargaining chip.
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