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Haass plan: Leaders 'positive' meeting after Stormont rejects implementation vote Martin McGuinness: 'Unionists danced to extremist tune'
(about 1 hour later)
The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main parties have held talks at Stormont about the Haass proposals on flags, parades and the past. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has accused unionist parties of "dancing to the tune of extremists".
Afterwards, SDLP leader Aladair McDonnell described the discussions as positive and said it was now time for implementation rather that negotiation. Mr McGuinness said he believed this had an impact on the outcome of the Haass talks on flags, parades and the past
They came a day after the assembly rejected a Sinn Féin motion calling for the implementation of the plan. The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main parties held talks at Stormont about the Haass proposals.
Afterwards, SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell described the discussions as positive and said it was now time for implementation rather that negotiation.
Sinn Féin's Mr McGuinness said: "I have watched over the course of the last 18 months unionist parties dancing to the tune of extremists within their own community and that has to end.
"I say that because I believe the influence of these people has impacted on the Haass negotiations and the Haass outcome.
"This is a time for leadership, this is a time for standing up to extremists who are trying to bring this process down."
'Sidelined by nonsense'
Mr McGuinness said the Haass proposals were the best way forward and he was "fed up to the back teeth" with issues such as education and the economy "sidelined by the nonsense that goes on around parades and flags, and the failure in the past to deliver on victims".
The talks came a day after the assembly rejected a Sinn Féin motion calling for the implementation of the Haass plan.
Amendments by the UUP, the DUP and Alliance were also voted down.Amendments by the UUP, the DUP and Alliance were also voted down.
The Haass talks, chaired by US diplomat Richard Haass and Harvard academic Prof Meghan O'Sullivan, ended on New Year's Eve without a deal.The Haass talks, chaired by US diplomat Richard Haass and Harvard academic Prof Meghan O'Sullivan, ended on New Year's Eve without a deal.
The parties have agreed to meet again next week.The parties have agreed to meet again next week.
During Monday's assembly debate, Sinn Féin's Caitriona Ruane accused the DUP and the Ulster Unionists of a "failure of leadership".
The DUP's Arlene Foster said there was "still much work to do" on the proposals.
Elements
The DUP had proposed an amendment that would delete any reference to the Haass proposals being implemented.
The UUP also proposed an amendment to the Sinn Féin motion, which called on the first and deputy first ministers to agree to proposals for a practical and a positive way forward.
In a separate amendment, the Alliance Party wanted another process to examine difficulties over parades and flags and have called for an independently chaired mechanism to be set up urgently.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's first minister said any work on the Haass proposals should examine in detail all 340 elements in the document.
Peter Robinson told the assembly the parties must itemise areas of agreement.