Navigation

Its gonna happen (but maybe in the ‘wrong’ way)

on 15 July 2006 , 3:52 pm 6 | 0 views

Mark Durkan is undisturbed by Ian Paisley’s Twelfth speech. He believes the DUP and Sinn Fein will share power but what he is concerned about is:

“…them sharing power with the rest of us in a proper accountable way…”

  • slug

    I am glad the SDLP are in favour of accountability.

  • cbs

    What a comment by Mr Durkan! He should be focusing on his own party not others. Rather than comment about DUP/SF power sharing and all but admit SDLP is sidelined, the SDLP should be trying to regain lost votes and coming out with positive messages.

  • The rhetoric of Ian Paisley is but a relic from a bygone era. His words on 12th July proved this.

    There seems to be a dawning in working-class loyalist areas that their young men have been used as cannon-fodder by the DUP to get them into power. The UPRG’s rejection of Paisley, combined with the UUP’s associations with David Ervine, seem to mark a concerted effort to rehabiliate the UUP in working-class loyalist areas. Indeed, I recall about a year ago that there was talk of Gary McMichael joining the UUP- could this still come to pass?

    The DUP’s refusal to deal with paramilitaries of any hue in any way (except when it comes to sharing a stage with them) could be the key strand of dogma which leads to their fall from electoral grace. It may not be nice, but at times it is necessary to deal with those whose activities one despises (apparently).

    With regard to Sinn Féin, if (or rather when) they enter government with the DUP, it is imperitive that they do not attempt to replicate their grubby Nazi-Soviet pact of December 2004 which would have seen all-manner of criminals let off the hook, be they paramilitary or state affiliated. It would have also seen undemocratic wounding to the mandate of the SDLP and UUP in order to satisfy the power-hunger of the two bigger parties. The SDLP has recognised the mandate of Sinn Féin by demanding that they are included in the Executive as per their voters’ wishes- Sinn Féin must reply with 100% commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and all the safeguards it provides, to ensure balanced and fair power-sharing.

  • Alan2

    And how many votes did the UPRG and PUP get last time? Some of the folks do some fine community work on the ground – they should concentrate of transforming their own communities away from paramilitarism and drugs and criminality. Decomissioning in some form or manner would be nice too. And on camera with genuine cross-community witnesses would show the proper way to do it .

  • Nevin

    Has Mark ever expressed any reservations about the SDLP’s use of the Joint Secretariat that was formerly based at Maryfield and is currently in Windsor House, Bedford Street, Belfast?

    SDLP politicians have used the JS to facilitate changes in matters such as policing policy and day-to-day decision making. As the JS is an inter-government body it is not subject to parliamentary scrutiny and accountability. As one of Sir Patrick Mayhews’s officials put it, “details of the exchanges between the Irish and British governments remain confidential” (circa December 1993).

  • Nevin

    Correction: the ‘confidential’ note was sent to me in December 1994.