British government "sitting on its hands" says McLaughlin

The British government was tonight accused of "sitting on its hands" while Northern Ireland's political institutions remained…

The British government was tonight accused of "sitting on its hands" while Northern Ireland's political institutions remained in crisis.

Sinn Fein chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin lambasted the British government for failing to organise a round of intensive meetings with the Northern Ireland parties to find a way out of the deadlock in the peace process.

The Foyle MLA, whose party has secured a meeting with a junior Northern Ireland Office minister tomorrow, said: "The British Government told us that they were suspending the political institutions in order to create a six-week period for further progress to be made on the four key areas - policing, demilitarisation, the stability of the political institutions and the issue of arms.

"Since the suspension of the institutions on August 11th the British Government have sat on their hands. They have organised no meetings, held no discussions and engaged in no private dialogue.

READ MORE

"Tomorrow's meeting with the British Government is at our request and we will be discussing in detail the areas in which the British Government's implementation plan still fails to bridge the gap to the Patten proposals.''

Mr McLaughlin hoped the meeting with Northern Ireland Office Minister Des Browne at Stormont would mark the beginning of an intensive period of dialogue to resolve the problems in the peace process.

Northern Ireland's politicians have until September 23rd to resolve their differences - the date when the Assembly must reconvene to vote for new first and deputy first ministers.

The political institutions were suspended by Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid for a day on August 10th when the Assembly was originally expected to vote.

The move bought the parties another six weeks to resolve their problems but was followed by the IRA's withdrawal of its disarmament offer to the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning.

PA