Parties must resolve ministers’ role row

ALL political parties must commit themselves to resolving outstanding accountability issues if IRA decommissioning is to be guaranteed, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urged yesterday.

The stumbling block which stood in the way of agreement last week centred on the role of ministers in a power-sharing assembly.

The Democratic Unionist Party wants ministers to be more accountable to the assembly, but Sinn Féin regards such proposals as a move towards majority rule.