'Stop posturing and listen to voters', politicians told

Northern Ireland’s politicians must stop point-scoring off each other and instead respond to their voters’ desire to see things sorted out once and for all, a nationalist leader said tonight.

The call came as Irish and British government officials met Sinn Fein, the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party and nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party at the start of the most intense week of negotiations since devolution was suspended last October.

It was made by former Stormont Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan, who warned that the public was losing faith with politicians.

In an address in Derry he said: “People are losing faith, getting fed up waiting for politicians to get their act together.

“While support for the promise of the Good Friday Agreement remains high, confidence that the parties and the governments are capable of realising that promise continues to dissipate.

“I share completely in the sense of frustration that much greater progress has not been made to date. In the days and weeks ahead we must finally turn the corner from appreciating the promise of the Agreement to underwriting its potential.

“Instead of arguing about what needs to be done to fulfil the democratic will of the people, we must all get on with doing it.”

Today saw a hectic round of meetings as officials in London, Belfast and Dublin continued to work on the various elements of a possible deal next month to restore devolution and secure a significant move by the IRA.

With republicans and loyalists under pressure to end all paramilitary activity and empty their arms dumps, Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness travelled to London for private talks with the British government.

A meeting was also arranged with the Ulster Volunteer Force-linked Progressive Unionist Party.

Sinn Fein, the SDLP and other parties are also focusing on other aspects of the package covering policing, criminal justice reform, the scaling down of British army installations and activity, equality, human rights and the Irish language.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair are due in Northern Ireland on March 3 when it is hoped to secure a deal.

But nationalist and republican sources were continuing to play down suggestions that the governments are close to producing a package which can command support on all sides.

“At this stage, it still looks a bit like the Weston Park process,” one source said.

“The governments may make another declaration about how the Agreement will be implemented with or without everyone’s support and proceed to an election.

“It’s difficult to see a declaration being all that attractive to unionists.”

With speculation mounting that the governments are proposing a three-year demilitarisation plan and a release on licence scheme to resolve the controversial issue of on-the-run terror suspects, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble denied the deal would feature a “troops out” element.

The former Stormont First Minister also insisted the most important issue was the onus on the IRA to undergo “acts of completion” over paramilitarism.

Mr Durkan tonight spelled out that “an end to paramilitary violence and an end of paramilitary organisations” was needed.

But unionists had to commit themselves to an “unequivocal return to the power-sharing institutions as equals” and Sinn Fein would have to pledge themselves to “unequivocal participation in the Policing Board“, he said.

He also said the British government would have to make “real progress towards a normalised society.

“For our part, the SDLP has kept our promise to the people of Ireland by working 100% of the Agreement for 100% of the community. Now we are giving 100% to ensure the Agreement can be put back on track.

“Today the SDLP began another round of meetings with other pro-Agreement parties.

“Tomorrow, as well as meeting other parties, we will meet with the Secretary of State.

“Our purpose is not about party posturing but delivering positive outcomes. People are fed up listening to parties sounding off against each other.

“They want to see us sorting things out together. They mandated the Agreement. They mandated us all to work it.

“We have a duty to conclusively stabilise the institutions and conclusively guarantee the exclusively peaceful path“.