Northern Ireland forced into election despite British PM”s intervention

Britain will hold elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly on March 2 after a last-minute intervention by Prime Minister Theresa May failed to prevent the collapse of power-sharing in the devolved government.   "We need to ensure that this election is conducted in such a way that does not divide … that seeks to bring […]

Britain will hold elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly on March 2 after a last-minute intervention by Prime Minister Theresa May failed to prevent the collapse of power-sharing in the devolved government.

 

"We need to ensure that this election is conducted in such a way that does not divide … that seeks to bring people back together," Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire told reporters, urging all sides to "remain open to dialogue."

 

The crisis began when Martin McGuinness, a veteran Sinn Fein politician, resigned as deputy first minister and accused the rival Democratic Unionist Party of not respecting the spirit of political power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

 

Brokenshire announced the election after the deadline passed for republican party Sinn Fein to nominate a new deputy to work with First Minister Arlene Foster of the DUP.

 

Speaking minutes before the deadline, Sinn Fein assembly member Conor Murphy blamed the DUP’s approach to power-sharing, British government policies and the Irish government’s "inaction" for the crisis.

 

Sinn Fein wants "fundamental change to the DUP in how they do their power-sharing," Murphy told reporters.

 

In a video message following Brokenshire’s announcement, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said Northern Ireland’s political institutions were "at a defining point."

 

"This election is about accountability in public life and zero tolerance in corruption," Adams said. "It’s about delivering real power-sharing based on respect."

 

"It’s also about negotiations on Brexit that see the North remain part of the European Union," he said.

 

Brokenshire on Sunday told the BBC that the crisis in Northern Ireland would not delay May’s plan to trigger formal negotiations on Brexit by the end of March, even if the Supreme Court rules, as expected, that prior parliamentary consultation is required.

 

But Colum Eastwood, leader of Northern Ireland’s SDLP party, said it could be illegal to trigger Article 50 while there are no "functioning institutions" in the territory, the Irish Times reported.

 

Sinn Fein had pressed Foster to step down pending an investigation of a botched energy scheme that could cost taxpayers nearly 500 million pounds (609 million dollars), but Foster stood her ground and accused Sinn Fein of politicizing the issue.

 

May held talks by telephone with McGuinness and Foster early Monday, but Sinn Fein later confirmed that it would still not nominate anyone to replace McGuinness as deputy first minister, leaving the devolved government paralysed.

 

McGuinness said on Twitter he had told May and Brokenshire that he "felt badly let down by both the DUP and the British government."

 

Ahead of Monday’s assembly session, Foster defended the DUP’s role and said Northern Ireland "needs stability."

 

"We, as a party, have done all that we can to maintain a stable government," Foster told reporters.

 

Brokenshire and Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan held a series of meetings with DUP and Sinn Fein leaders over the past week, but Sinn Fein insisted that elections were the only way forward. (DPA)