Power-sharing talks at crucial stage

Efforts to revive power-sharing in the North will today reach a critical stage as members of the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists prepare for a meeting of their party executive.

DUP members were today expecting to receive answers to around 40 queries they have raised about proposals from the Irish and British governments aimed at resurrecting the Stormont Assembly.

Sinn Féin and the DUP are the only parties in the North to have seen the full proposals.

The blueprints cover a wide range of issues which Dublin and London believe must be addressed to revive devolution, which has been suspended in Northern Ireland since October 2002.

DUP sources last night were optimistic that a deal could be struck between them, the two Governments and Sinn Féin.

But a senior source in the party also cautioned against the people expecting a definitive position on the proposals after tonight’s party executive meeting.

“I have to say I am encouraged by the progress that has been made,” the source said.

“The gaps between parties have narrowed during this intense period of negotiations. However, make no bones about it - there will have to be a recognition from the Republican movement that they must end all paramilitary and criminal activity and decommission their weapons.”

The IRA is facing demands that future disarmament by the organisation should be more transparent.

DUP has been pressing for a visual aspect to future weapons decommissioning, going beyond the event just being witnessed by the head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning General John de Chastelain.

It has been proposed that Protestant and Catholic clergy could witness any IRA move in the future to put weapons beyond use but the DUP is believed to want photographic evidence to give unionists more confidence in the process.

Sinn Féin will also be watching tonight’s DUP meeting closely for any sign that the party is prepared to publicly commit itself to power-sharing with republicans.

Sinn Féin have refused to endorse the Police Service of Northern Ireland or take their seats on policing boards.

They have been pressing for a commitment by the British government that it will transfer responsibility for policing and justice from Westminster to Stormont within two years.

The DUP has also been pressing for greater ministerial accountability at Stormont and changes to the way ministers are elected by the Assembly.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has criticised proposals that the joint election of the First and Deputy First Ministers be replaced with a vote in the Assembly for the entire power-sharing government.

The Foyle Assembly member, in particular, has accused Sinn Fein of handing the DUP a veto over who nationalist parties nominate as ministers.

However, Sinn Féin Chairman Mitchel McLaughlin has insisted the party will not agree to anything which falls short of the Good Friday Agreement and separates the joint office of Stormont’s First and Deputy First Ministers.