Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams will later today begin the process of changing his party's position on support for the PSNI, write Dan Keenanand Gerry Moriartyin Belfast
Warning in advance that "no one should underestimate how big a step this is", he has called his party's ardchomhairle meeting to debate the convening of a special ardfheis on policing. The meeting will take place in Dublin today.
Long-held republican policy on policing is a key obstacle to power-sharing between Sinn Féin and the DUP and hindering efforts by Dublin and London to restore Stormont next March.
In a statement issued yesterday after exhaustive talks involving Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, prime minister Tony Blair and his officials, Mr Adams said "considerable progress" on policing issues had now facilitated the meeting.
"If the ardchomhairle agrees to that motion and others, including the two governments and the DUP leadership, respond positively, the ardfheis will go ahead in January."
Under a formula devised in the recent talks, a policing model was created based on a proposal tabled by the DUP before Christmas. It means that a department of justice will be established with a minister with full cabinet powers and a junior minister, most likely from the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP.
These ministers will be elected on the so-called "50/50/50" system whereby the ministers must first win at least 50 per cent support of the Assembly members to include 50 per cent support of unionists and 50 per cent support of nationalist members.
However, there is still uncertainty over the time frame for transferring policing and justice powers to the Stormont Executive. The governments believe this formula makes it possible to establish the department by May 2008, as envisaged in the St Andrews Agreement. They hope that Sinn Féin, by initiating this move on policing, will in turn prompt the DUP to soften its refusal to make any commitments on a time frame.
Mr Adams, talking to The Irish Times yesterday, insisted the next step would be among the most significant yet taken by his movement.
"No one should underestimate how big a step this is, both at a personal and a political level," he said.
"But I think this is the right thing to do and I think this is the right time to do it."
Mr Adams requires a two-thirds majority among the 56 delegates to the ardchomhairle to enable a motion changing policy on the PSNI to be put to a special ardfheis.
Time is not on the Sinn Féin president's side.
In an interview with this newspaper, he says he is committed to engaging widely with republicans to convince them of the merits of his position, a process which could take "some weeks".
He said he recognises the difficulty many Sinn Féin supporters will have with the issue but is prepared to argue solidly for his cause which will "strengthen the quest for a just and lasting peace".
The Irish and British governments want Sinn Féin to back the PSNI in time for the planned dissolution of the Stormont Assembly late next month.
If plans go to schedule, then the leading nationalist and unionist parties will be able to begin a six-week campaign on positive manifestos before elections to a new Assembly on March 7th. A new executive including both Sinn Féin and DUP ministers would then assume ministerial powers on March 26th.
The Taoiseach welcomed the Sinn Féin move on policing as "an encouraging and significant development". Tony Blair also welcomed Mr Adams's decision.
DUP leader Ian Paisley offered a qualified welcome: "Words alone have never been enough. The DUP will continue to push and push Sinn Féin on these matters."