Mowlam signals willingness to delay formation of executive

The Northern Secretary has indicated it may be more realistic to postpone triggering devolution until the end of March, although she warned against excessive delay in creating an executive and the other arrangements following from the Belfast Agreement.

Dr Mo Mowlam said yesterday she was still aiming for March 10th for devolution but added that if the parties wanted more time it would make "rational common sense" to postpone creating the institutions of government.

According to the Alliance leader, Mr Sean Neeson, a delay could allow some progress to be made when Northern political leaders were in Washington for the St Patrick's Day holiday - a period when President Clinton may intervene to stimulate movement.

"I would like to get March 10th in place, but I will talk to the parties first and see what they want because it is up to them to reach some kind of agreement. But I don't want it stretching on too long, certainly not. I would look towards the end of the month perhaps. But I have not given up yet," Dr Mowlam said in Belfast.

Dr Mowlam continued her rounds of meetings with political parties at Stormont yesterday aimed at bringing about progress and some compromise on decommissioning. "Both decommissioning and the executive formation are crucial steps that need to be taken so that the process can move forward," she added.

She again showed her reluctance to trigger the D'Hondt political formula to create the executive because "what is important is that we get cross-community support".

"But whatever, whenever D'Hondt is in place, it doesn't get you around the need for parties together to find an accommodation on decommissioning and on the formation of the executive. Both have to happen and that is what has to take place. D'Hondt is a process, not an outcome," said Dr Mowlam.

Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein said IRA decommissioning should be dealt with "down the road" and that an IRA defeat was "not on offer". He suggested the formation of an executive could help convince the IRA to move on disarmament.

"The whole business of SDLP and Sinn Fein ministers in government on an equal basis with the unionists could send a very powerful message to the people that we are looking to convince that this is the road we should go down," he told yesterday's Irish News.

Mr Alex Maskey, Sinn Fein Assembly member, said Dr Mowlam should stand by the March 10th date for devolution. "David Trimble cannot be allowed to continuously enforce a veto over progress by his unrealisable demands," he said.

Alliance, the Progressive Unionist Party and the Women's Coalition, who met Dr Mowlam separately yesterday, all called for the pro-agreement parties to get round the table again to resolve problems.

Mr Neeson said Dr Mowlam should delay the transfer of powers to the Assembly until political leaders returned from St Patrick's Day celebrations in the US. This could allow progress on disarmament.

Mr Seamus Close, Alliance deputy leader, said an opportunity had to be provided for the pro-agreement parties to "use the right language to assist one another". "People should stop digging holes on this issue and throw away the spades. Language is important," he added.

Mr David Ervine of the PUP said: "The process is more valuable than the narrow political notion that you can gain some benefit by destroying the negotiator who opposes you."

Ms Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition said a mechanism for compromise had to be found. "We've got to find a way to clear the path for this legislation to be put into operation," she said.

Mr Robert McCartney, leader of the anti-agreement UK Unionist Party, urged Mr Trimble to "call Mo Mowlam's bluff" by refusing to nominate ministers.

Mr Gary McMichael, leader of the Ulster Democratic Party, who also met Dr Mowlam yesterday, called for a clear signal from republicans that "the war is over".

The four main church leaders called for calm and patience from politicians as they tried to move the political process along. The church leaders on a visit to Ballyclare secondary school in Co Antrim yesterday urged politicians to be conscious that what they were trying to achieve was vital to the future of young people in Ireland, North and South.

The leaders - Catholic Primate Archbishop Sean Brady, Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robin Eames, Presbyterian Moderator the Rev Dr John Dixon and Methodist President the Rev David Kerr - called for prayers at this critical time.