Assemblymen to condemn paramilitary-linked parties
Northern Ireland Assembly members have one last chance to show their dissatisfaction with Sinn Fein in Government ahead of the likely suspension of the North’s political institutions, it was claimed today.
Speculation is mounting that Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair will hold talks on the peace process in London tomorrow.
Democratic Unionist MP Nigel Dodds called on the majority of MLAs to back a motion condemning the involvement of paramilitary linked parties in Government and noting groups on ceasefire were still active.
The North Belfast MP said: ‘‘We feel in the light of the awful terrorist attacks on the United States it is important the Assembly should have the opportunity to debate whether it is appropriate to have terrorist linked parties in Government.
‘‘The DUP had hoped to have another motion to exclude IRA/Sinn Fein from government debated but we had only 29 out of the 30 signatures needed for that to take place.
‘‘No Ulster Unionist, with the exception of Peter Weir, was prepared to put their name to that motion even after the revelations of republican involvement with FARC guerrillas in Colombia.
‘‘The public is concerned about ongoing republican and loyalist activity and that is why we have crafted this motion which will allow us to put pressure on the Government to do something about it.
‘‘If this is the last debate the Assembly has before the institutions are suspended, then, hopefully, we can leave the Secretary of State John Reid and others in no doubt where the majority of Assembly members lie on this issue.’’
With the Assembly facing a deadline of midnight on Saturday for the election of new First and Deputy First Ministers, Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid will face an uncomfortable decision on the future of the North’s political institutions if there is no movement on IRA disarmament in the coming days.
Unionists have been demanding the immediate decommissioning of IRA weapons.
Republicans insist the IRA will not bow to unionist demands.
Last month, the group withdrew an offer to put its weapons beyond use after Dr Reid suspended the political institutions for one day.
Failure to reach agreement on the arms issue by midnight on Saturday will mean unionists will not vote for a new First and Deputy First Minister.
That would force Dr Reid to either allow fresh Assembly elections to take place or suspend the institutions for one day or a longer period, allowing a review of the Good Friday Agreement to occur.
In his strongest hint yet that he could live with suspension, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said yesterday the public should not interpret it as a sign that the process was at an end but rather, it could ‘‘end up strengthening the process rather that weakening it’’.
Dublin sources are unhappy at the prospect of long term suspension.
However, with Prime Minister Tony Blair likely to be more heavily involved in plans to avenge the attacks on the US and the Irish Government assuming the chair of the United Nations Security Council next month, they accepted both may not have the time to devote to Northern Ireland’s problems.
In the wake of John Hume’s resignation as leader of the nationalist SDLP, the process and the province’s parties may also need time to readjust and think up new ways out of the impasse.
Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon and Finance Minister Mark Durkan are the front runners to succeed Mr Hume in November.
