Republicans in new push to restore power-sharing
A new campaign was launched today by republicans on the need for power-sharing institutions to return at Stormont.
On the eve of crucial talks involving the Northern parties at St Andrews in Scotland, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was due to address a rally in Belfast city centre tonight as part of his party’s ’Can You Afford It’ campaign.
Sinn Féin Assembly member Gerry Kelly explained the campaign was part of a direct attempt to appeal to the public on whether Northern politicians could afford to squander the attempt to get power-sharing institutions back in place by November 24.
The North Belfast MLA said: “Across our society in the business sector and throughout civic society and, crucially, on the ground, people are asking whether we can afford to throw away the opportunity to get the institutions back up and running before the November 24 deadline.
“It is a simple question. Can you afford it?
“And the answer coming back from a wide cross section of people is equally simple: ‘no’.
“The ’Can You Afford It’ campaign is aimed at everyone who lives in Ireland.
"We are asking not just nationalists but also the unionist community if they can afford the rates increases, water charges, the erosion of education and special education needs in particular, which have taken place under direct rule and will continue until the Democratic Unionist Party do the inevitable and agree to a power-sharing executive.”
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair will kickstart an intensive round of talks at St Andrews tomorrow with an opening session involving all the parties.
Before arriving in St Andrews, Mr Blair will take Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.
Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell will also be at the talks venue to welcome the Northern parties and wish them luck in trying to break the deadlock that has prevented devolution at Stormont for almost four years.
Irish and British government hopes of a breakthrough have been boosted by last week’s report from the ceasefire watchdog, the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), on paramilitary activity.
The report said the IRA had made significant progress in dismantling its terrorist capabilities and while some individuals within the organisation were involved in criminal activities, the leadership had taken a firm line against it.
The North’s largest party, Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists, has acknowledged the progress details in the report but has insisted the IRA has more to do.
After an hour-long meeting with the IMC in Belfast yesterday, Mr Paisley accused Northern Secretary Peter Hain of trying to spin the findings of the report.
The DUP leader said the IMC told him the IRA was not near perfection when it came to addressing criminal activities.
“We were quite amazed at their forthrightness with us as we cross-examined them on their report,” the North Antrim MP said.
“It is quite clear their interpretation of their report and the comments are nothing like what the Secretary of State has been selling to the people.
“In fact, he has been selling to the people deceit as far as the report was concerned.”
