Row in North as govts push to restore Assembly

A bitter row erupted tonight between rival unionist parties in Northern Ireland as the Irish and British governments planned a fresh push to restore the Stormont Assembly.

Officials confirmed the review of the Good Friday Agreement will resume next Tuesday, a day after Northern Ireland’s European Election result has been declared.

However the announcement came on the back of private meetings at Stormont yesterday involving Tony Blair’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists which sparked a fresh row among unionists.

Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey accused the Rev Ian Paisley’s DUP of not being straight with voters about their involvement in talks and called on them to release details of the discussions.

The South Belfast Assembly member said: “The DUP leadership must tell the electorate now what the nature and substance of these talks was about. The DUP are being dishonest with the electorate and their supporters.

“How can they talk tough on the one hand, absolutely ruling out negotiations with Sinn Féin, then engage in talks with Sinn Féin and the British and Irish governments under a veil of secrecy?”

However Democratic Unionist MP Nigel Dodds hit back at suggestions that his party was involved in any secret talks.

“It ill behoves Michael McGimpsey to talk about secret deals and talks when his party elevated Sinn Féin/IRA into government on three occasions,” the North Belfast MP responded.

“Not only did they place terrorists at the heart of government but they also gave concession after concession to republicans. Unlike Michael McGimpsey’s party the DUP have not and will not negotiate with terrorists.

“Indeed only last year the Ulster Unionist Party agreed a secret deal with Sinn Fein/IRA, the details of which are still unknown to the people of Northern Ireland, to put republicans back into government.”

Northern Ireland’s Assembly and power-sharing executive collapsed in October 2002 amid unionist concerns over ongoing IRA activity.

Since then, unionists, moderate nationalists and both governments have urged republicans to wind down the IRA.

Sinn Feéin has insisted it is unfair to elevate this issue when other aspects of the Good Friday Agreement and peace process pledges made by the two governments have not been implemented.

Two attempts to revive devoution last year involving London and Dublin, David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists and Sinn Féin stumbled over concerns about IRA disarmament and republican intentions towards the peace process.

The Assembly elections, however, has significantly altered the political landscape in Northern Ireland with Mr Paisley’s DUP overtaking the Ulster Unionists as the largest unionist party.

The DUP has since produced three models for restoring devolution but have refused to share power with Sinn Féin until the IRA winds down.

Despite the review of the Good Friday Agreement being suspended for the duration of the European Election campaign, parties have continued to explore privately with the British and Irish governments how devolution can be restored.

There was speculation tonight at Stormont that next week’s review will see the beginning of a serious two-week push for progress.

Other sources were far more cautious, claiming the review would test the political waters to see if a deal was possible in the autumn.

However republicans, nationalists and unionists all agree a second successive peaceful marching season this summer in Northern Ireland is essential if there is to be any deal.

Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said tonight that his party wanted next week’s review to be more focussed on re-establishing the Assembly, the power-sharing executive and cross-border institutions.

“We need to put in place the modalities and timeframe which would see an early resolution of all outstanding issues,” he said.

“These discussions need to be qualitatively different from that which went before, and to be productive they must be accompanied by an intensive effort to see the political institutions re-established and outstanding commitments honoured.”

SDLP leader Mark Durkan also welcomed plans to restart the review, insisting it was essential the political process was not parked during the summer.

The Foyle Assembly member, whose party has proposed that Stormont’s 11 government departments should be run by a team of commissioners in the absence of devolved ministers, insisted: “We are determined not to let the Good Friday Agreement go into deep suspension because of the failure of the DUP and Sinn Fein to live up to its requirements.

“Our proposals allow us to end suspension and get the Agreement moving again now, despite the grandstanding of other parties.

“We have been pleased at the response that we have got to them from Jonathan Powell and others. They recognised that our proposals gave leverage to make progress.”