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June 7, 2006 

After three days of talks, parties in Northern Ireland have come to a stalemate over the election of a chairperson for a committee to help setup a devolved goverment in Northern Ireland. It is now up to Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain to choose to the next course of action.

The committee, know as, the Preparation for Government Committee convened Monday to begin it's first task, the election of a chairperson for the committee. It's main task however is to help set a roadmap for devovled goverment in Northern Ireland. The committee is made up of the two republican parties (Sinn F�in and SDLP), the two unionist parties (DUP and UUP) and the non-sectarianist Alliance Party.

Sinn F�in's proposal is for the chairpersonship to revolve between them and the Democratic Unionist Party. However, the DUP refused that proposal.

The DUP proposed that Speaker of the Assembly Eileen Bell should be the chairperson. However, Bell stated that it would inappropriate for her to take the post and refused. They also suggested the DUP MP for South Antrim William McCrea and Alliance Party leader David Ford as possible canadiates.

Peter Hain called the refusal of parties to cooperate "frustrating."

Sinn F�in, SDLP and the Alliance Party have all blamed the DUP for the failure.

"Yet again the DUP, instead of helping to remove obstacles to devolution, have shown themselves to be nothing but obstructive and lacking in any spirit of co-operation, "said Sean Farren of the SDLP.

Mark Durkan, the leader of SDLP, has criticized both Peter Hain and the DUP and it's leader, Ian Paisley on Monday.

"If the DUP is not prepared to do the business or give any substantive indication in the course of June, then the British government would be as well stopping the salaries at the end of June," said Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

"The practical reality is that the two biggest parties have not shown they are prepared to move forward at all." said David Ford, the leader of the Alliance Party.

"The prevarication and petty wriggling by the DUP is preventing the potential for progress and holding us all up to public ridicule." said Ulster Unionist Party's Alan McFarland.

On Monday, Ian Paisley asked for extension of the November 24 deadline fot two weeks. It was refused.

This is part of plan by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Toaiseach Bertie Ahern to set up a devolved goverment in Northern Ireland after it's assembly was suspended in October 2002 over allegations of a IRA spy ring.

If a plan for devovled goverment is not setup by November 24, direct rule from London will continue with greater input from the Republic of Ireland.

Related articles

• Ahern, Blair to lead Northern Ireland talks
• Ian Paisley rejects Sinn Fein nomination
• Blair, Ahern unveil plan for Northern Ireland devolution

Sources

• "Parties fail to reach agreement". BBC News, June 7, 2006
• "Committee problems 'raise doubts'". BBC News, June 5, 2006
• "NI parties fail to elect all-party group Chair". RTE News, June 7, 2006
• "Stormont committee to meet". Press Association, June 5, 2006
• Noel McAdam "Parties lock horns on devolution committee". The Belfast Telegraph, June 5, 2006
• "Durkan attacks Hain and Paisley after Stormont farce". The Irish Examiner, June 5, 2006