'Political crisis fuelling dissident violence': SDLP

The growing crisis over the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly is fuelling the violence of dissident republican groups, it was claimed today.

The warning from the SDLP came after a gunman opened fire on police officers during sustained rioting yesterday in Craigavon, Co Armagh.

No one was injured in the shooting but the SDLP claimed Sinn Féin "brinkmanship" over the future of the Northern Ireland Executive was playing into the hands of those intent on raising tensions.

Rioters threw petrol bombs and at least one blast bomb at police when officers were called to the area after bomb warnings from dissident groups.

The violence was blamed on dissident republicans opposed to the peace process and was condemned by all major political parties, including Sinn Féin.

Policing impasse

But it comes as the DUP is locked in a dispute with Sinn Féin over the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont that now threatens the power-sharing government.

SDLP Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie warned the political deadlock was creating a dangerous vacuum and said the recent violence was a matter of grave concern.

“It is increasingly a manifestation of republican frustration at the failure of Sinn Féin to deliver what it promised to its own movement,” she said.

“It is increasingly clear to everyone, and in particular nationalists, that the DUP has run rings round Sinn Féin, both in the earlier negotiations and now in government - and yet Sinn Féin’s only strategy is to protest and issue threats.

“The latest Sinn Féin-inspired phoney 'crisis' is simply fuelling republican anger and now leading to increased dissident violence.”

With the political dispute forcing the cancellation of cabinet meetings, Ms Ritchie accused republicans of putting party policy ahead of the needs of the public.

Sinn Féin’s West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty rejected the SDLP claims.

“In recent weeks, in a desperate attempt to make themselves seem relevant, the SDLP have resorted to increasingly bitter and pathetic attacks on Sinn Féin,” he said.

“Today Margaret Ritchie criticises us for standing up for national and democratic rights; she criticises us for standing up to negative and rejectionist unionism; she criticises us for seeking to ensure that the two governments honour their Good Friday and St Andrews Agreement commitments.

“Nationalists and republicans will once again be disappointed by the attitude being displayed by the SDLP.”

Sinn Féin warned on Sunday that it would pull its ministers out of government if progress was not made on devolving policing and justice powers.

The St Andrews political deal that paved the way for devolved government set May of this year as a target date for the devolution of the powers, but the DUP argued there was no community support for the move.

In June, both parties committed themselves to intensive negotiations on the issue and have since signalled that some progress has been made.

Sinn Féin has insisted, however, serious negotiations have yet to get underway while DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said his party was not tied to any date for devolving policing powers.

“Any commitments that were given by the government to Sinn Féin are a matter for the government, but the DUP made the situation perfectly clear before we left St Andrews, that we had not agreed to any dates for the transfer of powers,” he said.

“The central component of devolving these sensitive powers to Stormont is sufficient community confidence in the unionist community to support such a move.”

The parties are also divided over a series of issues including the introduction of an Irish language act, the future of the Maze prison site, education reform and orange parades.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Reg Empey said the Craigavon violence showed the Executive was not ready for the devolution of policing and justice.

“Having listened today to the different approaches by political parties to the overnight events, can one imagine how these attitudes would impact at Stormont if the portfolio was devolved?

“One party is saying ’shoot to kill’ while others are talking about ’police maintaining a light touch’. How in such circumstances could any coherent policy emerge from Stormont on policing?

“I say again that until the Executive shows that it can deal with the matters already devolved it should not be taking on more, especially a portfolio as contentious as justice.”