DUP challenged over commitment to power sharing

Democratic Unionists were today challenged to prove they are serious about power sharing.

As the dispute over future devolved government in Northern Ireland continued, SDLP negotiator Dominic Bradley accused the Reverend Ian Paisley’s party of trying to deny the mandates of other parties while demanding its own be recognised.

The Assembly member told SDLP members in Newry: “We have engaged as constructively and creatively as we can with the DUP.

“But what we will not do is ditch or dump the Agreement’s fundamentals.

“The DUP asks us to recognise their mandate. We do so. They have the right under the Agreement to ministers in accordance with their electoral strength.

“But they are trying to deny the mandates of all the pro-Agreement parties, and the mandate that all the people gave the Agreement.

“We stand by the Agreement. We want to add to it, improve it and develop it, but we are not going to go along with anything that takes away any of its key features or principles. That is our reasonable position.”

At the end of last week’s Leeds Castle talks in Kent, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern believed a resolution had been achieved on the thorny issues of IRA disarmament and paramilitary activity which have frustrated a return to devolution for the past two years.

However no agreement was reached on changes to the province’s system of power sharing government.

Two days of talks at Stormont to break the impasse also stumbled over proposed changes to the election of First and Deputy First Ministers, ministerial accountability and cross-border co-operation with the Government.

The DUP and cross community Alliance Party wants ministers to be able to challenge some of their cabinet colleagues’ actions and for the Assembly to be able to overturn controversial ministerial decisions.

However the SDLP and Sinn Féin claim this represents a massive rewriting of the Good Friday Agreement.

The SDLP has also alleged the DUP is trying to stunt the growth and strangle the work of north-south institutions and has accused Alliance members of trying to help the Reverend Ian Paisley’s party avoid having to vote for Sinn Féin ministers through changes to the way cabinet appointments are ratified by the Assembly.

Mr Bradley said SDLP leader Mark Durkan was the only leader after Leeds Castle to say the issue was not simply about accountability and power sharing but about fundamental issues in relation to the all Ireland institutions under the Agreement.

He also attacked the DUP for refusing to respond to his party’s ideas of improving accountability and efficiency at Stormont.

“The DUP say that they are serious about power sharing. We say: prove it,” the Newry and Armagh MLA said.

“If the DUP are serious about power sharing, why are they trying to avoid being jointly elected with a nationalist? Why don’t they share power in their flagship councils?

“The DUP may be talking a good talk but you just have to look at how they refuse to share power in councils like Coleraine, Lisburn, Castlereagh and Ballymena to see how their divisive actions do not match their conciliatory words.

“These councils are influenced and controlled by Gregory Campbell, Jeffrey Donaldson, Peter Robinson, and Ian Paisley. And yet we are expected to take on trust that these same people are accommodating and willing to work with nationalists as equals?”

Mr Bradley said the SDLP was not interested in getting any old deal in the negotiations.

“We are very clear about the difference between ‘an’ agreement and ‘the’ Agreement which we already have and was overwhelmingly endorsed by the people,” he continued.

“We want the restoration and full resumption of all the positive things that happened under the Agreement.”

Mr Bradley also insisted the IRA must honour its pledges on winding down criminal and paramilitary activity.

He said loyalist paramilitaries would also have to end their campaigns of violence, intimidation and criminal activity.