DUP urged to publish 'pre-condition letter'

Published Sunday, 06 December 2009

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has called on First Minister Peter Robinson to publish his list of pre-conditions for devolving policing powers to Northern Ireland.

McGuinness told the DUP leader he had to let people know exactly why he was still refusing to agree a date for the transfer of justice responsibilities from Westminster.

Sinn Fein has warned that any further delays will render the power-sharing administration unsustainable - a claim that has been dismissed by the DUP as a bullying threat.

While both parties have agreed a £1bn funding package with the Treasury, Mr Robinson is understood to have sent an eight page letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlining a number of other so-called 'confidence building' measures his party want to see implemented before devolution takes place.

But the DUP has denied it amounts to a shopping list of preconditions, insisting that the only precondition is the attainment of confidence within the unionist community for the move.

On Sunday Mr McGuinness told an audience of republicans in Derry that the letter needed to be made public.

"The DUP keep harping on about community confidence. Fair enough, but I must make it crystal clear that the eight page letter which I believe is loaded with preconditions and sent by Peter Robinson to the British Prime Minister, was neither seen or agreed by me, his partner in government, as part of our agreed process paper.

"Therefore I believe that publication of this letter is both reasonable and essential. The entire community is entitled to know what is in that letter. I am now calling on Peter Robinson to make the public aware its contents."

Mr McGuinness remarks came hours after Mr Robinson rejected Sinn Fein claims that he and his party were not governing on the basis of equality.

"Simply because Sinn Fein has a demand and can't get other parties to agree with their demand isn't an example of inequality," he said.

"It means that they haven't been able to pursue their political agenda or at least that aspect of it.

"There's no requirement on me to meet the demands of Sinn Fein and to fulfil their political agenda."

Last week, Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness sent out a joint letter to all Assembly members outlining the procedure for electing a future Justice Minister.

Both main parties have agreed not to nominate a candidate for the role, but have said the occupant must secure cross community support in a vote at the Assembly.

That marks out the non-aligned Alliance party as the clear favourite to take the portfolio But while the deadline for nominating candidates is next Friday, Alliance has indicated it will not do so until a policy programme for the Justice Ministry is set out.

Comments

3 Comments

doirecormac in derry wrote (898 days ago):

possibly not but after years of preaching can they really still talk about equality? And anyway I have not yet met anyone who sees the benefit in devolving these areas of work. can we trust them when you see the mess they have made of the 11+ and the reform of education - £7m spent and nothing to show for it!

John Burns in Belfast wrote (898 days ago):

to doirecormac i have no doubt that sinn fein have their political agenda but let's be honest it is just not that simple that sdlp be awarded justice ministry under d'hondt. when the existing ministries were devolved justice was not included. so surely this, likely the most important dept, should not simply go to the 4th largest party, the sdlp. It was never going to be that simple.

doirecormac in derry wrote (899 days ago):

So sinn fein want rule on the basis of equality! Where's the equality in the sdlp not getting the next ministerial portfolio under the d'hondt system? Sinn fein have changed the rules out of pure political manoeuvering - shame on you. How many years have we had to listen to you preaching about equality and as soon as you get into power you discriminate against another party for your own short sighted political reasons. And as for the Alliance? You are just as bad. If you really do believe in what you have preached all these years then you would not accept any nomination. Or has a whiff of power made you forget your principles?