Warning by SDLP should be heeded

THE real tragedy of the political drama currently unfolding in Belfast is that most people see the Good Friday Agreement as the best chance for lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

But time is fast running out despite the determination of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to find a solution to the present crisis. Yesterday’s resignation by two DUP ministers brings the power-sharing executive closer to dissolution or suspension.

The situation has deteriorated following further allegations of espionage by Sinn Féin, including spying on the SDLP. Suggestions to this effect by Bríd Rodgers raise serious questions about the motivations of republicans, not only among unionists but also in the nationalist community. With gunmen lurking in the shadows, politicians of all persuasions should heed the words of SDLP leader Mark Durkan, who warns that nothing should be done in the coming days that could not be undone. Otherwise, the peace agreement and the power-sharing process could be doomed, heralding a long and bitter winter of discord and violence.