Paisley and Adams 'poised for face-to-face talks'

Ian Paisley could hold his first face-to-face meeting with Gerry Adams in a bid to keep devolution hopes alive in the North, it was claimed tonight.

Sources close to intense behind-the-scenes negotiations said a groundbreaking meeting between the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin in Belfast tomorrow was looking increasingly likely.

Both leaders are hoping to strike a new deal to secure a power-sharing government in May after the DUP’s 120-member executive said it could not nominate devolved ministers by Northern Secretary Peter Hain’s deadline of tomorrow.

Earlier Mr Hain threw down the gauntlet to the two parties to agree a new deal. By signing a restoration order for devolution which theoretically could result in the closure of the Assembly if no locally elected government is formed.

A source said: “The DUP and Sinn Féin are still locked in negotiations.

“There is a race against time going on, now that Peter Hain has set off the clock on devolution.

“It looks like tomorrow is going to be a frantic day, full of bilateral, trilateral and multilateral meetings involving the parties in the Assembly.

“It is looking more likely that we could see Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams facing each other across the negotiating table in a bid to agree a new power-sharing date.

“With the Assembly due to meet at noon to nominate ministers, the parties are anxious to avoid that taking place because they know the DUP cannot appoint its ministers. In fact if a plenary session does take place, that would not be a good sign.”

Earlier Peter Hain said he had set in motion the devolution process because there was a chance that power-sharing could be achieved.

He insisted that if the parties in the North came back to him with an agreement plotting a new path back to devolution, he would be prepared to listen.

A new deal on power sharing, however, would require the Government pushing through emergency legislation at Westminster and also putting on hold plans to introduce controversial border charges in the North on April 1.

Sinn Féin leader Mr Adams said it was vital that the current intense talks delivered the political institutions which people voted for in the Assembly Election in the North on March 7.

“Otherwise additional water charges and other punitive and unfair measures will be introduced by unaccountable British Direct Rule ministers,” the West Belfast MP warned.

Senior DUP negotiators were meeting in East Belfast tonight to consider the latest talks developments.

It is understood approaches have been made to the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP, which will also take part in a power-sharing executive, for meetings at Stormont tomorrow with the DUP and Sinn Féin.