SDLP and SF continue push for June election

The SDLP and Sinn Féin have both urged the Government to press for Assembly elections in the North next month when Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen meets Northern Secretary Paul Murphy at a meeting of the British-Irish inter-governmental conference today.

The two men are expected to discuss how best to proceed following the cancellation of the elections scheduled for May 29 and the publication of their joint declaration on implementing the Good Friday Agreement.

Sinn Féin has insisted that the postponement of the Assembly vote due to dissatisfaction with the stance of the IRA was unjustified and that the election should go ahead as soon as possible.

The SDLP said the vote should go ahead next month and has called on the two governments to start a series of inter-party meetings to push the peace process forward.

Meanwhile Richard Haas, US President George W Bush's envoy to Ireland, is also due to hold talks with the Northern parties today in an effort to maintain momentum in the peace process and avoid the political vacuum that could accompany the current stalemate.