SF policing motion criticised by unionists
Sinn Féin was today accused of "bowling short" in its motion to party members to endorse the police in the North.
Democratic Unionist MEP Jim Allister said the motion for a special Sinn Féin conference in Dublin on January 28 was unacceptable because it made support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) conditional on the formation of a powersharing government and assurances that policing and justice powers would be transferred.
Mr Allister commented: "True to form, Sinn Féin is bowling short in its Árd Fheis motion.
"It makes all its trumpeted support for policing conditional on its demands on powersharing and devolution of policing and justice first being met.
"What this amounts to is that the DUP jumps first by permitting Sinn Féin into government before they will deign to support the police.
"That is not acceptable. Upfront delivery by Sinn Féin, tested and proved over a credible period, is non-negotiable."
In the event of there being no devolution on March 26, the Sinn Féin motion also commits the party to support the police only when acceptable new partnership arrangements from the Irish and British governments are in place.
Mr Allister has been a vociferous critic of the Irish and British governments' attempts to set up a powersharing executive since last October's St Andrews talks.
On Saturday, Sinn Féin's 56-member executive agreed to put to rank-and-file members at their special conference a motion committing the party to support for the PSNI, the Gardaí and the criminal justice system on both sides of the border.
The motion will also recommend that Sinn Féin elected politicians participate in local policing accountability structures such as the Northern Ireland Policing Board and District Policing Partnership.
Sinn Féin's executive had originally agreed on December 29 to hold the conference this month.
However, the conference was cast into doubt two weeks ago when the party said its original decision was predicated on a positive response from the Irish and British governments and the DUP.
On Friday, Gerry Adams accused DUP leader Ian Paisley of reneging on an agreed form of words which were to be issued in his New Year statement.
Sinn Féin's decision on Saturday to press ahead with the conference this month was welcomed by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the North's most senior policeman, Chief Constable Hugh Orde.
The DUP's Sammy Wilson today agreed with Mr Allister that the Sinn Féin motion did not come up to the mark.
The East Antrim MP said: "It has been made clear pre-St Andrews and post- St Andrews that Sinn Féin must deliver on their support for law and order, and in actions as well as words give their support for the PSNI prior to any restoration of the Assembly Executive.
"Unionism under the leadership of the DUP will not jump first, but equally if Sinn Féin deliver on their obligations we shall not be found wanting. We have made that abundantly clear.
"It is up to Sinn Féin, and Sinn Féin alone, to get on with their responsibilities and finally become an exclusively democratic political party.
"Sinn Féin are in no position to be setting demands. They know what is required of them and this motion to be put to the Árd Fheis falls short of that requirement."
The Chief Constable, meanwhile, was today criticised by Ulster Unionist peer Lord Maginnis, who accused him of focusing too much on political pronouncements.
"For someone who didn't want political interference in his work, he's really lost the plot and obviously believes that CC stands for Chief Choreographer, that he's simply here to keep the (Northern Secretary Peter) Hain Show on the road," the peer observed.
"He should now give up his daily political pronouncements and get on with policing or has he failed to notice he hasn't caught the Northern Bank robbers or most of the gangs who roam the country to prey on the elderly who live alone?
"On the other hand, if he really wants to be a politician, why doesn't he start by giving some support to his officers when it comes to the witch-hunt being carried out by the Police Ombudsman's office?"
The leader of the North's cross-community Alliance Party, David Ford, today joined Ulster Unionist calls for face-to-face talks between Mr Paisley and Mr Adams to resolve any current problems in the peace process.
The South Antrim Assembly member accused both parties of engaging only in megaphone diplomacy.
"Enough is enough. Megaphone diplomacy simply does not work," he said.
"Instead of the (British) Prime Minster handing out meaningless praise and pretending that all is well on both sides, he should be convening face-to-face talks to resolve these endless difficulties.
"Sinn Féin and the DUP must get round the table for talks now and abandon this badly-choreographed blame game if there is to be any hope at all of achieving genuine powersharing."
