NI Ireland elections to go ahead despite stalemate
The government has confirmed that the Northern Ireland Assembly elections will go ahead despite the continuing row over IRA weapons decommissioning.
Downing Street admitted today that the row will not be resolved before the elections take place on November 26th, but insisted that they would go ahead.
A statement said that the government would “urgently” seek “to create the conditions which will enable a working executive to be formed”.
“The outstanding issue is the degree of transparency to be attached to acts of decommissioning, both in terms of the arms dealt with and how long it will take to complete the process,” the government said.
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble called for clarity last week following an announcement that the IRA had placed significant quantities of weapons beyond use.
He claimed that the paramilitary group had failed to provide enough details of the arms decommissioning and refused to back the faltering peace process in the run-up to elections.
The 11th hour drama ended a day that started full of optimism with key statements from the government, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, the IRA and international decommissioning chief General John de Chastelain.
Ulster Unionist Party officers decided on Monday to call off a meeting of its ruling council, scheduled for Wednesday, after failure to reach any form of consensus with republican leaders.
Earlier on Monday Sinn Fein accused the UUP of walking away from the political process. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said he was bitterly disappointed that Mr Trimble had halted the process.
The prime minister indicated on Tuesday that the review of the Good Friday Agreement, planned for the autumn, would take place after the election.
He insisted that the setback in negotiations “should not obscure the major steps forward taken by the republican movement”.
“The statement by Gerry Adams on October 21st, which was endorsed by the IRA, confirmed the commitment to exclusively peaceful and democratic means and signalled the full and final closure of the conflict,” a government statement said.
The devolved assembly at Stormont was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering.
