by John Coulter
The current struggle in Northern Ireland over the devolving of policing and justice powers has everything to do with saving the Democratic Unionist Party from electoral meltdown, according to well-placed Stormont sources.
The past week has been a political rollercoaster ride as the talks process sways from virtual collapse to “ready to seal the deal” and back again.
Sinn Féin’s central demand is for the DUP to name the precise date when policing will be devolved to the power-sharing executive – the first time Northern Ireland will have full control of its own policing since 1972.
The DUP wants more “community confidence” – to use its favourite buzzword – and is also demanding a resolution to the Protestant parades controversies, including the disbanding of the Parades Commission.
Sinn Féin maintains these are additional demands and are not directly linked to the setting up of a policing and justice ministry.
The Stormont source said: “The perception is emerging that the DUP is really the stumbling block to an agreement. It is basically scared of the Unionist electorate following the DUP’s near disastrous showing in last June’s European election.
“The DUP has always been a party which puts itself first before the province or the peace process. In these negotiations, it will be viewing policing and justice, not from the point of view of how it can move the province forward, but how it can limit the damage at this year’s general election.”
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen both froze their schedules to be in Northern Ireland in a last-ditch bid to kick-start the talks.
Initially the discussions centred on the two main parties – the DUP and Sinn Féin. In an attempt to break the deadlock, the other parties – the Ulster Unionists, centre Alliance and moderate nationalist SDLP – have become involved in round table plenary sessions.
If the Assembly does collapse as a result of no agreement on policing, fresh Stormont elections will be called, which could see Sinn Féin become the largest single party in the North, as well as significant gains for the anti-power sharing Traditional Unionist Voice.
There would also be minor gains for the Ulster Unionists, with the SDLP and Alliance holding their votes. The big losers would be Peter Robinson’s DUP, which has been plagued this month with allegations of sexual and financial scandals.
Gordon Brown left the ongoing talks as Tribune went to press, saying that a “pathway to agreement” had been agreed. Sources indicated that “80 per cent of a deal” had been done, but a final settlement is not anticipated soon.
