Governments plan response to Stormont crisis

The Irish and British Governments were today planning their response to the latest crisis to hit Northern Ireland’s troubled power-sharing Government.

Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid was travelling to Dublin for a meeting with Foreign Minister Brian Cowen to review the crisis in the peace process after the Ulster Unionist and Democratic Unionist ministers quit the Stormont Executive at midnight last night in the ongoing row over IRA decommissioning.

After a day of tension and intrigue at Stormont yesterday, Mr Trimble and his three ministers - Reg Empey, Michael McGimpsey and Sam Foster - laid the blame for the resignations on the IRA’s refusal to disarm.

He declared: ‘‘The IRA has not only failed to decommission but it has continued to engage in violence and murder along with loyalist paramilitaries.’’

‘‘This is therefore a blatant breach of the terms of the Agreement and the standards required of a movement which has members holding ministerial office.’’

The Government has a week to decide if the Assembly, Executive and other political institutions should be suspended to create the time and space for the problems in the peace process to be resolved.

Alternatively, they could allow the possible collapse of the institutions, by forcing the running of the D’Hondt system in the Stormont Assembly for the nomination of ministers.

Irish and British Government sources were unwilling today to be drawn on what course of action Dr Reid might take.

It is believed suspension is the more likely.

A Stormont source said: ‘‘The British may use the seven days between the resignations and the Assembly nomination of new ministers to still work towards trying to achieve IRA decommissioning.

‘‘We effectively have a week to resolve this but if the move on IRA arms does not come, then they will face the uncomfortable decision on whether to suspend or not.’’

Sinn Fein’s Assembly chief whip Alex Maskey described the move as ‘‘unhelpful’’ but insisted the party’s leaders, Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, were still committed to finding a solution to the crisis.

‘‘We are not walking away from the Agreement or from the process,’’ the West Belfast MLA insisted.

‘‘Our commitment is to make this process work. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness are entirely focused and will remain focussed on making progress.

‘‘The responsibility is to make politics work. That is what the UUP should be doing.’’

Incoming SDLP leader Mark Durkan urged Dr Reid not to suspend the institutions immediately.

‘‘I would hope that the Secretary of State doesn’t do anything impulsive or bring about any reflex suspension in response to the announcements we have made.’’

Mr Trimble was today due to face his party’s 110-member executive at UUP headquarters in Belfast.

The Upper Bann MP was expected to brief them on the current crisis.