Decisions deferred..
The 6 member cross-party Assembly Commission meets today to discuss, for the fourth time, the Sinn Féin proposal for a commemoration of Maireád Farrell in the Long Gallery. According to the UTV report
It is understood the commission is considering whether to introduce a blanket pre-condition for all events staged in the Long Gallery to receive cross community support in the Assembly first.Sources close to the commission say members are still debating whether political parties had a right to stage events that did not receive such approval in their own private Parliament Buildings offices.
Adds The BBC’s Martina Purdy reports that the morning meeting has adjourned, without agreement, and they’ll meet again at 4pm.. lawyers are also, reportedly, being consulted.. That commemoration was due to be held tomorrow.. Update BBC report – “It is believed the Assembly Commission, which runs the estate, voted to stop it taking place in the Long Gallery. The function due to be held on Friday is now expected to go ahead in the Sinn Féin party office at Stormont.” And Mark Devenport has more.
The Commission, which normally operates on a consensus, put the matter to a vote and Sinn Fein’s Paul Butler was heavily outnumbered. The function will now go ahead in Sinn Fein’s party office, but the Commission has banned cameras from being taken up the stairs. So just like IRA decommissioning, we will be told it went ahead, but denied any photographic evidence.
Update to Mark’s Update
UPDATE: No sooner did I file the above than a Commission source disputed the notion that this went to a formal vote. The source said new interim rules were approved without a formal vote, although Paul Butler registered his objection.
I know SF have a lot to put up with from the paternalist attitude of the DUP (bit like Bush giving occasional doggy-bites to Blair), but do they really expect anything better when they put forward proposals like this one. If they racked their brains to come up with anything more guaranteed to be offensive they couldn’t have done better. Why not select some other totem of republicanism to commemorate, one who has not been responsible for recent innocent deaths – I know the DUP don’t like compromise, but FFS at least try.
If I was CEO of a company big enough to have to set up a committee to make a decision and they met four times without coming to a conclusion, I would fire the lot of them.
SF have apparently asked for a list to be provided of all emblems, memorials, statues etc on public display at Stormont Buildings
SF – Silly Fuckers.
Please excuse my French.
Steve48 : source?
Ah tis a right funny thing to watch the english get bit on the ass
Paul
being reported on BBC.
Is this what provodom has been reduced to?
Dare i suggest the Assembly Commission watch the Youtube clip of Jeff Dunham – Achmed The Dead
Terrorist before reaching a decision.
I’d provide the direct link if i wasnt so bad at
computers – sorry.
from what I hear the honeymoon is over and the fight over who has the tv controls has begun
“from what I hear the honeymoon is over ”
not a moment too soon.
It’s been blocked.
Unfortunate, I think that the best symbol of republicanism tends to be dead heroes/martyrs/fools-for-a-cause (delete depending on your political/community background).
Very, very simplistic of me, I know, but has Gerry & Co nothing that could be seen as a little more ummm positive to celebrate…?
I suppose they can not exactly celebrate sinn fein success stories, what would they be?