Minister's appointment 'corrupted' - Ritchie
The SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie branded the current approach to appointing the future Justice Minister "a corruption of democracy", as a meeting of all the party leaders to consider applications for the role is delayed.
Monday, 08 February 2010
Mrs Ritchie revealed that Alban Maginness will put himself forward as the SDLP candidate for the post when the meeting is rescheduled on Tuesday morning.
"Since being elected leader of the SDLP, it's become clear to me that it will not be appropriate to allow my name to go forward as the party nominee for the justice minister", Mrs Ritchie told the media at Stormont.
"The SDLP nominee will be Alban McGuinness who is very well qualified for the position."
Meanwhile, the politician tipped to take on the role has once again cast doubt on whether he would accept the post.
Leader of the Alliance Party David Ford said he is not yet in a position to nominate himself as the future Justice Minister.
"We made our position clear back in December that there had not yet been enough progress, especially on building a shared future but also on the policies for the Department for Justice, for an Alliance nomination to be made", Mr Ford told UTV.
"Now clearly there was progress at Hillsborough last week and there are still discussions ongoing. At this stage we are not at a position to put a name forward today but clearly there is potential there."
The DUP and Sinn Fein have agreed not to nominate candidates from within their own ranks.
While the Ulster Unionists and SDLP have greater electoral strength within the Assembly, the non-aligned Alliance Party is considered the only one that could achieve the necessary cross-community backing of both the DUP and Sinn Fein in a vote.
But the Ulster Unionists and SDLP have criticised the notion of Alliance being the DUP and Sinn Fein's preferred choice, accusing the main parties of "gerrymandering" the selection.
"The proposed approach to appointing a justice minister is nothing short of a corruption of democracy. We'll still make our judgement on the Hillsborough arrangement when we know what is on the table and more importantly what is under on the table," Mrs Ritchie said.
"If the two parties won't reveal what they've already agreed then we'll be pressing the two governments for greater transparency".
At Westminster, the Prime Minister described the Hillsborough Agreement brokered last week as a significant and defining moment.
But Gordon Brown said the responsibility for making it work falls on all politicians.
"Upon all of us falls the responsibility to make this work. Together we should complete this process of giving the government of Northern Ireland to the people of Northern Ireland with policing and justice in the hands of the Northern Ireland executive. The future of Northern Ireland is finally and truly in the hands of its people and I commend this statement to the House," Mr Brown said.
First Minister Peter Robinson thanked the Prime Minister and Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward for their help in securing the deal, and expressed a "firm and unalterable commitment to ensuring that every element of this agreement is faithfully implemented".
Under the terms of the Hillsborough Agreement, justice powers are set to be devolved from Westminster to Stormont on 12 April.
© UTV News