'You have to finish the job of peace'

FORMER US president Bill Clinton has urged the people of Northern Ireland to finish the job of peace. Mr Clinton (67) was greeted by several thousand people during a visit to Derry to pay tribute to former SDLP leader John Hume for his work for peace.

While there were a number of minor anti-war protests, the former president was given, for the greater part, a tumultuous welcome.

He walked across the city's Peace Bridge along with Mr Hume and his wife Pat and also launched a collection of peace lectures given to the Tip o'Neil peace chair at the University of Ulster's Magee campus.

Following a private meeting with civic leaders, mr Clinton addressed a crowd a Guildhall Square where as president in 1995 he delivered his first speech in Ireland.

He said people in Northern Ireland failed to realise the worldwide impact of the region's peace agreement. He said it had helped build peace processes in various other areas of the world.

"This is what I want to say about it - you have to finish the job. There are still issues that remain unresolved after 19 years since the ceasefire and after 16 years since the Good Friday Accord.

"How that is resolved is not for me to say, it's for you to say."

Mr Clinton said Richard Haass had chaired talks aimed at resolving outstanding issues and, although these had not been successful so far, the most important thing for the people of Northern Ireland to do was look to the future.

In a 25-minute speech, he continually returned to his theme that there was a need to "finish the job" in Northern Ireland, and invoked scripture in the words of St Paul.

"The wonderful verses of scripture cited to St Paul 'I have fought the good fight; I have kept the faith; I have finished the course.

"You have fought the good fight and I can see in your eyes you have kept the faith, you have not finished the course," he said.

And in a warm tribute to Mr Hume, mr Clinton said the Nobel Laureate's insistence on non-violence was embraced by other parties.

Mr Hume, who remained at the former president's side throughout the visit, said he always had the greatest admiration for mr Clinton.

"Bill Clinton had economic difficulties and international difficulties to deal with during his administration, yet he gave so much time to Northern Ireland and the peace process," he said.

"Pat and I are delighted that Bill Clinton is here in Derry, a town and its people transformed by peace and which we are all so proud of."

At the end of his visit, the former president took time out to greet people before moving on to Belfast.