The British and Irish governments yesterday set a November 24 deadline for north of Ireland politicians to agree to work together in a restored Northern Ireland Assembly.
The ‘make or break’ plan was delivered in a joint statement by UK Prime Minister Blair and Irish Taoiseach Ahern at a press conference in Armagh.
Blair said: ‘We have today set out a framework beginning with the recall of the assembly on the 15th of May and running up to November of this year for that ultimate decision to be made.’
He added: ‘At that point we close the chapter or we close the book.’
Taoiseach Ahern said north of Ireland politicians have been given a ‘finite time’ to reach agreement.
He stressed: ‘It is time to talk and to agree, people are entitled to firm assurances that if there is deadlock that it will not be allowed to continue indefinitely.’
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said emergency legislation will be brought forward by the British government to recall the Assembly but he did not expect agreement to be reached by 15 May.
He said if it isn’t reached by November 24, Assembly Members will have their salaries and allowances cut off.
He complained the government has spent £85 million since October 2002, and it will not continue ‘to pay politicians £85,000 each in salary and allowances to not do their jobs’.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said: ‘It appears that the two governments are saying to the unionists and especially the DUP, that they have to decide if they are prepared to join the rest of us in moving forward in partnership through a power sharing government.
‘And if they do not do that the two governments are committed to moving ahead to implement all other elements of the Good Friday Agreement.
‘Nationalists and republicans will be sceptical about this commitment and it will be tested in the period ahead.
‘Sinn Fein will also be seeking assurances from the two governments about the new joint government arrangements and the accelerated all-Ireland co-operation and action, that will replace the Assembly if the DUP is not prepared to share power.
‘Whatever the two governments do, there is no going back to the days of unionist domination because Sinn Fein will not allow it. I say that as a gentle reminder to the DUP that the only way they will be part of institutions is on the basis of equality and the Good Friday Agreement.
‘I would appeal to unionism to see this upcoming period as a positive opportunity. There are many problems – water charges, cutbacks in health and education – which local politicians can straighten out better than any British Direct Rule Minister.’
DUP leader Ian Paisley rejected the Blair/Ahern plan, claiming: ‘Currently there is no evidence that Sinn Fein/IRA will be any further advanced in giving up criminality in November.’