Call for Paisley to take a ‘constructive position’ over executive

IAN PAISLEY must immediately commit to restoring the Northern Ireland Executive or face explaining his non-compliance to the electorate and his “redundant MLAs”, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned yesterday.

Speaking after the conclusion of the European Summit in Brussels yesterday, Mr Ahern said the DUP leader Ian Paisley would have to take a “constructive position” on entering an executive before the strict deadline of March 26.

He insisted there were no other proposals or initiatives on the table if parties failed to meet the deadline.

“I don’t have any sense that Dr Paisley, as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, who has just done very well in this election will do anything other than what he is legally bound to do under British legislation,” he said.

“If for some reason he didn’t do that, well then he’s going to have to explain that to his 37-plus redundant MLAs and 208,000 voters who voted for his party to play a significant role to a dissolved executive.”

Mr Ahern’s comments followed Mr Paisley’s failure to state if he would now be prepared to enter an executive.

Earlier, a joint statement issued by the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair stated that Northern Ireland parties must not miss an “opportunity of historic proportions” for restoring devolved government.

Speaking outside the European summit, Mr Blair insisted that the deadline for restoration was final.

“The date’s there and the reason it was called is so people would go into government,” he said.

Mr Blair maintained that the people of the North had accepted the concepts of genuine peace and power-sharing and now wanted their elected representatives to address local issues.

“What the elected politicians in Northern Ireland will want to do is to listen to the people. People in a sense have also shown real leadership in this election because what they have said is, look we know what the task is that on the basis of genuine peace, there can be genuine power sharing,” said Mr Blair.

“I think now is the moment in Northern Ireland when we can get down to business.

“The parties that have been successful can take charge of affairs in Northern Ireland,” he said.

Mr Blair added that the North elections had shown a clear concern for issues centring on water charges, health, education and the economy.

His congratulations to the successful political parties were echoed by Mr Ahern who said Wednesday’s Assembly elections had been the first election in Northern Ireland about economic and local issues.

Both leaders committed to working closely with the parties in the coming period in ensuring the final steps towards restoration on March 26 are taken.