Ahern to hear demand for firm Assembly election date

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was today due to hear more demands for an assembly election to take place soon in Northern Ireland.

The cross-community Women’s Coalition were due to meet the Taoiseach in Dublin as efforts continued to restore devolution.

Former South Belfast Assembly member Monica McWilliams said her party wanted a firm date for elections.

But she added that the current difficulties in the peace process “should not be boiled down to a matter of chicken and egg about who moves first”.

“Top of our agenda is the need for an election,” she said.

“A poll is the only thing which can inject a bit of credibility back into the process and it should not be postponed further by parties wavering over the choreography of steps which need to be taken.

“We do not mind which comes first – IRA decommissioning or guarantees of the stability of the institutions.

“It is imperative that both happen in the coming weeks. We cannot further stall political progress because of a farcical chicken and egg argument about who moves first.

“All players need to recognise their responsibilities and fulfill them.”

In recent days, David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists and Sinn Féin have clashed over demands by republicans for a firm election date to be declared regardless of the current negotiations.

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams have warned the UK government that they will not go to the IRA with a request for a fresh initiative to advance the peace process without a firm election date.

But senior Ulster Unionist Reg Empey has urged Tony Blair not to capitulate to Sinn Féin demands for an election date before any moves to restore devolution addressing the IRA’s future.

“What republicans collectively have to realise and what the government must remain rock solid on is the need for acts of completion before any election is called,” he said.

The Ulster Unionist party’s executive was also due to meet in Belfast to consider its response to the Irish and British proposals for implementing the Good Friday Agreement, which were published in May.