Adams vows to achieve power sharing

Gerry Adams tonight vowed to achieve a power sharing government at Stormont despite the Reverend Ian Paisley’s refusal to accept the Sinn Féin leader’s nomination of him as Northern Ireland First Minister.

The Democratic Unionist leader flatly rejected a bid by Mr Adams to have a power sharing executive formed during a 14-minute session of the Assembly.

Mr Paisley also turned down, outside the chamber, a proposal by Mr Adams that all the leaders of the Northern Ireland Assembly parties should take part in committees aimed at restoring devolution.

Declining the nomination inside the Assembly chamber, the North Antrim MP said: “I think it goes without saying that the reasons are well known across the province and they have been endorsed by a majority of unionist voters.”

Afterwards, Mr Paisley said: “We are glad this charade is over.

“We are coming down to the reality of the situation.

“Are we going to have in the government of Northern Ireland those who are terrorists, those that condoned and even planned murders, who robbed banks, who committed criminal acts and who will not support the police?

“The answer of Ulster is no. There is no place in any government in the United Kingdom for those wedded to terrorism.”

There had been little expectation ahead of today’s meeting of the Assembly that a DUP First Minister and a Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister would have been elected.

Nevertheless, Mr Adams proposed Mr Paisley and Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness to head up a future power sharing administration at Stormont.

Afterwards, the West Belfast MP was philosophical.

Recalling a famous Ian Paisley speech, the Sinn Féin leader said: “No is better than never, never, never.”

He continued: “We’re in the business of trying to set up an executive.

“Others are here to string it out and engage in distractions and in a shadow Assembly. We are totally and absolutely opposed to that.

“We have put forward a series of propositions which are all about trying to get engagement through a committee or a series of committees with a very tight focus that it has to be about the formation of an executive.”

Mr Adams said Sinn Féin would return speedily to the task of trying to get First and Deputy First Ministers elected.

However, he added that the DUP could only say no for a few more times and if it still refused to share power the onus was on the British and Irish governments to implement outstanding obligations under the Good Friday Agreement.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern have given Assembly members until November 24 to elect a power sharing government.

Both leaders have warned that failure to achieve that will result in the governments taking the lead, enhancing cross-border co-operation.

Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell was today brought in to Stormont to impress on Assembly members the benefits of devolution.

Mr McConnell in an address, and during a question and answer session, told MLAs not to lose sight of what devolution could mean for Northern Ireland.

“Keep your eyes on the prize,” he urged them.

“I think devolution has been good for Scotland and we can only grow in the years ahead.

“I hope for that here, whatever happens in the years ahead.”

Assembly members will tomorrow gather at Stormont to consider an Ulster Unionist proposal for a committee on the restoration of devolution.

They will also debate a nationalist SDLP motion, urging the British Government to abandon more stringent planning regulations restricting the building of single homes in rural communities.