Sinn Féin will not join 'farce' Assembly, says McGuinness
The British government was warned today that Sinn Féin may not prepared to participate in an Assembly at Stormont - a move which drive the political process into a deeper crisis.
As the party began a review of its participation in the Assembly which was recalled six weeks ago, Martin McGuinness said his colleagues would not participate in a farce.
Ahead of the meeting of party officers in Dundalk, the Mid Ulster MP said: “This week’s sitting of the (Peter) Hain Assembly is coming to an end and the fact is that no progress has been made - something that is largely the responsibility of the two governments.
“As we said we would do at the beginning of this current phase, Sinn Féin is going to review our position regarding the Hain Assembly.
“We are more than willing to be involved in any genuine effort to restore political institutions but we will not participate in a farce that is driving the political process into deeper crisis and making the public increasingly cynical.
“The review will begin tomorrow morning and conclude at the end of the summer.”
The warning came as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair prepared to travel to Belfast tomorrow for talks with parties in the North.
In April the two leaders gave the Assembly parties a November 24 deadline for restoring power sharing.
They also recalled the Assembly in May, hoping a power-sharing executive would be formed within six weeks.
However, a bid by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to have Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley elected at Stormont as First Minister alongside Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister failed.
The governments had also hoped that the first six weeks of the recalled Assembly would help create the right mood and music for the formation of a power-sharing executive in the autumn if it was not possible to establish one for the summer marching season.
However, the first six weeks have been marked by bitter exchanges between Sinn Féin and Mr Paisley’s DUP.
Mr Adams’s party has boycotted debates inside the chamber, claiming they are meaningless because there are no devolved ministers.
A special Assembly committee set up by Northern Secretary Peter Hain to identify the issues before the establishment of a power-sharing government has seen regular clashes between the DUP and Sinn Féin.
Mr Paisley has also accused Mr Hain in recent days of frustrating the work of the Assembly by limiting the number of debates.
“The Secretary of State and his officials are very busy preaching to MLAs to get down to work, yet Mr Hain is the very man who has refused to allow the Assembly to debate and discuss a financial package, the review of public administration, education concerns and a host of other pressing concerns that have been referred to by the Assembly Business Committee,” the North Antrim MP complained.
“The Secretary of State has adopted a hypocritical stance by demanding we get back to work yet refusing allow any business in the Assembly chamber.”
Mr Paisley accused Mr Hain of failing to challenge Sinn Féin to go into the Assembly chamber and of opting instead to bow to their every demand.
“Despite the fact that all of the democratic parties have delivered business to be discussed and have supported this being referred to the Assembly, the Secretary of State has stood shoulder to shoulder with republicans,” he said.
Mr Paisley continued: “The Secretary of State must decide whether he is going to continue to back those who are still in the business of criminality whilst attacking democratic parties on a daily basis or whether he is prepared to forego his recent bout of hypocrisy and allow local politicians to discuss issues of vital importance to them on the floor of the Assembly.
“The Preparation for Government Committee cannot stand alone and work with the Assembly and the Northern Ireland office would be foolish to think it can continue to exist in such a form.”
