Power-sharing in hands of republicans, says Robinson

POWER-SHARING cannot be restored in the North until it is certain that IRA criminality is at an end, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) told an Anglo-Irish political conference in Kerry yesterday.

In a forceful address to the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body, deputy leader Peter Robinson made it clear the DUP, the biggest party in the North, would not be "bullied" into dealing with Sinn Féin before it was ready to.

Even when it reached that stage, the DUP would first need to consult with the unionist community before sitting down with Sinn Féin, Mr Robinson said effectively to get the go-ahead to govern with Gerry Adams's party. This consultation period would take weeks rather than months, he said.

"The ability to bring forward the date of full devolution is in the hands of republicans. They know what they have to do," Mr Robinson said. "Deadlines will not change our position. Threats will not change our position. Government spin will not change our position. There can be no sidestepping or circumventing the issue of paramilitary and criminal activity."

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have given the parties until late November to establish a power-sharing government. The assembly, or parliament, will be recalled on May 15 and given six weeks before the summer recess to form a cross-party executive the equivalent of a Cabinet.

Should efforts fail, the parties will be given one chance in the autumn before the governments call a halt on November 24 and suspend attempts at devolution for the foreseeable future.

While Sinn Féin wants the executive established immediately, the DUP is opposed to such a move until it is certain IRA criminality has ended.

"Let me make it clear," Mr Robinson said. "There can only be an executive in Northern Ireland if it is formed amongst those who engage in exclusively peaceful and democratic politics."

He said there had been much speculation that his party wanted to delay devolution. To the contrary, the DUP had most to gain from power-sharing because, as the biggest party, it "would have greater influence than any other party over decisions taken in the province."