MLAs to resume Stormont debate

Northern Ireland politicians return to Stormont tomorrow to resume the debate so spectacularly halted by loyalist killer Michael…

Northern Ireland politicians return to Stormont tomorrow to resume the debate so spectacularly halted by loyalist killer Michael Stone.

A report on the security implications of the storming of Parliament Buildings by Stone — armed with explosive devices — will be delivered to MLAs.

They will also complete the debate which was ordered for Democratic Unionist Party leader the Rev Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness to indicate they would be prepared to take office as First Minister and Deputy First Minister after an election next March.

Mr McGuinness did, as did Mr Paisley after a later statement of clarification which continued to insist Sinn Fein must give backing for the Police Service and law and order before he acts.

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Sinn Fein Vice President Pat Doherty, MLA, said today the current political environment demanded positive political leadership and genuine engagement. He said Friday's meeting of the Assembly had been about much more than nominations — but about signalling the start of a new transitional process leading to the restoration of political institutions.

"The new period requires all political parties to work together and deal with fundamental issues such as a programme for government for an incoming Executive, the Peace Dividend and crucially the time frame and model for the devolution of policing and justice," he said.

He said there was clearly resistance from the DUP to genuine engagement that would be encouraged by elements of the SDLP how had moved into 'electioneering mode' ahead of the March poll.

Mr Doherty accused the SDLP of a "serious misjudgement" of the situation. Meanwhile Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has again urged both Sinn Fein and the DUP to take the steps necessary to stop the political process ending in failure.

He said what had happened in the Assembly before it was interrupted had indicated everyone was prepared to move forward with the St Andrews Agreement agenda, but said he would "not pretend that what happened on Friday was the best that I had been hoping could have happened."

And speaking on the Politics Programme on BBC he said Sinn Fein needed to hold the special party conference to get backing for them supporting policing — before the March poll — and members of the DUP had to stop saying they would never accept devolution in their lifetime involving power sharing with Sinn Fein.

He said to the DUP: "If they keep saying that, some of their leading figures - not Ian Paisley or Peter Robinson — there is no prospect of moving forward."

He added: "Sinn Fein need to understand that they need to fulfil what they signed up to in paragraph six of the St Andrews Agreement — and that is in the legislation — completely signing up to policing. "If we can get clarity on those issues, then we can move forward to devolution."

Mr Hain added: "If it is not achievable — and it may not be — of course dissolution and the packing up of Northern Ireland's politicians is what they \[the parties] will be responsible for ."