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Northern Ireland: power-sharing executive meetings suspended Northern Ireland power-sharing executive meetings suspended
(about 1 hour later)
There will no further meetings of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing executive until the political crisis over the alleged activities of the Provisional IRA is resolved, the region’s first minister has said. There will no further meetings of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing executive until the political crisis over the alleged activities of the Provisional IRA (PIRA) is resolved, the region’s first minister has said.
Peter Robinson on Monday also warned that it would take “weeks rather than months” for his Democratic Unionist party to decide if it would remain in coalition with Sinn Féin and other Northern Irish parties. Peter Robinson also warned on Monday that it would take “weeks rather than months” for his Democratic Unionist party to decide if it would remain in coalition with Sinn Féin and other Northern Irish parties.
Billed as the “no business as usual strategy”, the DUP leader exercised his veto on the executive meeting in response to the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s assessment that members of the Provisional IRA killed Kevin McGuigan, a former gunman with the group, in Belfast last month. Billed as the “no business as usual strategy”, the DUP leader exercised his veto on the executive meeting in response to the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s assessment that members of the PIRA killed Kevin McGuigan, a former gunman with the group, in Belfast last month.
Related: PSNI: Provisional IRA leadership did not sanction Kevin McGuigan murderRelated: PSNI: Provisional IRA leadership did not sanction Kevin McGuigan murder
Surrounded by his party colleagues in the Great Hall of the Stormont parliament, the first minister said the DUP was prepared to give the talks – commencing on Tuesday to solve the crisis of confidence within the power-sharing government – a chance. Other routine meetings involving the Northern Irish parties in the power-sharing executive will be suspended.Surrounded by his party colleagues in the Great Hall of the Stormont parliament, the first minister said the DUP was prepared to give the talks – commencing on Tuesday to solve the crisis of confidence within the power-sharing government – a chance. Other routine meetings involving the Northern Irish parties in the power-sharing executive will be suspended.
On the four-week talks starting on Tuesday, Robinson said: “If we are not satisfied that parties are committed to finding resolution, we will initiate steps.” He said Stormont at present was “not fit for purpose”.On the four-week talks starting on Tuesday, Robinson said: “If we are not satisfied that parties are committed to finding resolution, we will initiate steps.” He said Stormont at present was “not fit for purpose”.
Robinson added: “Pending a satisfactory resolution of the outstanding issues, business will not be as usual. As a first step there will be no further meetings of the Northern Ireland executive unless we deem that there are exceptional circumstances.Robinson added: “Pending a satisfactory resolution of the outstanding issues, business will not be as usual. As a first step there will be no further meetings of the Northern Ireland executive unless we deem that there are exceptional circumstances.
“In addition, there will be no North-South ministerial meetings in any of its formats [between ministers in Belfast and Dublin]. Our ministers shall be focused on the talks process.” “In addition, there will be no north-south ministerial meetings in any of its formats [between ministers in Belfast and Dublin]. Our ministers shall be focused on the talks process.”
The PIRA was supposed to have dissolved as a military organisation as part of a deal in 2005 which eventually led to unionists sharing power with their one time republican enemies. The PIRA was supposed to have dissolved as a military organisation as part of a deal in 2005 that eventually led to unionists sharing power with their one-time republican enemies.
Unionists have claimed the McGuigan killing and the PSNI’s Chief Constable conclusion that PIRA retains some organisational structure is a breach of that deal. Unionists have claimed the McGuigan killing and the PSNI’s conclusion that PIRA retains some organisational structure indicate a breach of that deal.
However, Sinn Féin has countered by claiming the threat to destabilise power-sharing is a result of inter-unionist election rivalry. Gerry Adams and other republican leaders insist the IRA has “left the stage”.However, Sinn Féin has countered by claiming the threat to destabilise power-sharing is a result of inter-unionist election rivalry. Gerry Adams and other republican leaders insist the IRA has “left the stage”.
Sinn Féin warned the government it would be a grave mistake if London imposed welfare reforms and cuts over the heads of local politicians.
Conor Murphy, the party’s assembly man for Newry and Armagh, said Sinn Féin, unlike the unionists, were not threatening to bring down the devolved institutions.
On welfare reform, Murphy said: “There are no doubts in relation to our view in terms of the British government deciding in an arbitrary fashion to take powers back off the assembly.
“Martin McGuinness has said very clearly that would be unacceptable to us and he has said very clearly that would be a grave mistake.”
Murphy described the furore within unionism linked to the McGuigan murder as more to do with inter-unionist electoral rivalry.
“We are not threatening the institution, we are here to do business, we are not going to allow ourselves to be distracted and we intend to continue with that business,” he said.
One proposal for examining the allegations that the IRA is still active is the revival of a ceasefire monitoring watchdog that would include international security experts.
Related: Northern Ireland police chief backs ceasefire monitoring group
The Irish and British governments appear open to the idea of bringing back a version of the Independent Monitoring Commission, which examined alleged breaches of paramilitary ceasefires and reported on them.
The issue of who was responsible for the McGuigan murder will be raised later on Monday with a Sinn Féin motion condemning both his killing and the death of former Belfast IRA commander Gerard “Jock” Davison in May.
McGuigan was accused by former comrades of kiling Davison in the market area of central Belfast – a charge the former’s friends and family deny. The pair had fallen out nearly a decade ago after Davison ordered that his one-time IRA colleague receive a so-called punishment shooting.
However, McGuigan’s family and republican sources in Belfast insist that PIRA members who are loyal to Sinn Féin’s political programme carried out the murder in August.
One of the weapons used to kill McGuigan was a semi-automatic rifle, which has raised the question of whether the PIRA decommissioned all its weapons in 2005. In that year, the PIRA put a large arsenal of weapons and explosives beyond use in front of independent observers, including two Irish clergymen.
Ed Moloney, who has written extensively about the IRA, claimed over the weekend that there is evidence to suggest a quantity of weapons including rifles were kept by the republican movement for self-defence purposes.
On his blog The Broken Elbow Moloney quotes anonymous sources close to the George W Bush administration in 2005 who noted that IRA arms were retained and “not just small arms”.
Talks between all the parties represented in the assembly will start on Tuesday but claims that the PIRA kept a number of weapons and may be still be intact as an organisation will further pollute an already toxic atmosphere between unionists and republicans.
PSNI chief constable George Hamilton has stressed that although the PIRA has some structure still in existence, its leadership and membership is committed to the peaceful political path pursued by Sinn Féin.
In his assessment of the McGuigan murder, Hamilton said the PSNI believed the killing was not sanctioned at a leadership level within the PIRA.
Attempts to save devolution from collapse over the uproar caused by the McGuigan murder have been complicated by the issue of welfare reform in Northern Ireland.
Related: Sinn Féin warns over threat of welfare cuts in Northern Ireland
Over the weekend the Northern Ireland secretary, Theresa Villiers, said central government may bring in reforms to the region’s public sector, which makes up more than 60% of the local economy. Rows over welfare have resulted in the Northern Ireland executive being unable to set a budget.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP oppose the welfare cuts, which were drawn up in last year’s Stormont House agreement. Unionists claim the nationalist parties reneged on that original agreement, which included an acceptance that up to 7,000 civil servants would be made redundant, at the end of last year.
McGuinness, deputy first minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin chief negotiator during the peace process, has said the party will oppose any moves by Westminster to impose the welfare cuts.