The prospects of reviving a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, a cornerstone of its peace process, appeared bleak Wednesday with parties still bickering in the last full day of talks. After three months of squabbling, negotiations between the feuding parties were heading to the wire.
They have until 4:00pm (1500 GMT) Thursday to agree to form a semi-autonomous government in Belfast. Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, who has been facilitating the talks, said there would be grave consequences for the province if they failed.
"Our focus is on seeing that an executive is restored and I have been clear on not wanting to pre-empt what may happen should that not be the case," he told parliament in London. "Obviously there would be profound and serious implications."
The province would likely be fully governed from London, though Brokenshire could call a second snap election to the Northern Ireland Assembly, however unwelcome. "Time is short. I would urge all concerned to use the narrow window which remains to look beyond their differences and see that an executive is formed," he said.
The power-sharing executive is the cornerstone of a peace process that ended three decades of violent conflict in the province. It has powers over matters such as health, education, justice and the province's economy.
A collapse of trust led to Irish socialists Sinn Fein pulling out and a March 2 snap election in which the conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) finished narrowly ahead of them. "We are absolutely committed to getting the executive up and running again," DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said Wednesday.
DUP negotiator Edwin Poots said the talks were not running smoothly. "I would encourage Sinn Fein to be mature. No high-wire acts: let's get down to work, knuckle down and find a way through this," he said. Sinn Fein accused the DUP of intransigence on their demands.
"The DUP have not moved on any of the substantive issues which sit at the heart of this crisis," said party chairman Declan Kearney. Sinn Fein wants legislation on the Irish language, same-sex marriage and does not want DUP leader Arlene Foster to return as first minister.
The DUP believe Sinn Fein have politicised the Irish language, do not back gay marriage and insist Sinn Fein will not be picking their leader. In London, British Prime Minister Theresa May's party struck a deal with the DUP on Monday that will afford her Conservatives a slim parliamentary majority.
Northern Ireland will receive an extra 1 billion pounds (1.1 billion euros, $1.3 billion) from the UK coffers over two years, in return for the DUP backing the British government in confidence votes, passing budgets and Brexit legislation. But without a functioning executive, local politicians will not determine how the money is spent. Civil servants have been running Northern Ireland's departments in the absence of ministers.
Comments
Comments are closed.