SDLP leader Mark Durkan has accused the Democratic Unionist Party of engaging in a "pub crawl of preconditions" as DUP MP and Assembly member the Rev William McCrea demanded that republicans must first "repent" before they could enter a power-sharing Northern Executive.
Mr McCrea, following up on apparent new conditions demanded of Sinn Féin by DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, on Tuesday, added to that list in the Assembly yesterday during a debate on law and order issues, which Sinn Féin boycotted.
Mr McCrea asked how could the DUP be expected to share power with republicans who could argue that "murder, racketeering, extortion, money-laundering, fuel laundering, bank robberies, exiling, etc" were not criminal acts if carried out at the behest of the IRA leadership whereas if it was done for the personal gain of IRA members "then it could be regarded as criminal".
"What kind of society would we be if this party was to allow such persons take a position in an executive government?" And in comments reflective of Dr Paisley's "sackcloth and ashes" demand of republicans that helped destroy the chance of a deal in December 2004, Mr McCrea added: "As far as we are concerned we do not believe that those who have a mindset that murder and all those things are not criminal - that they are not a party for government.
"They never were a party for government. And until they renounce and repent of what they have stood for, until they have turned their backs completely on all of those things they will not be in government."
Hitherto the main demand of Sinn Féin from the DUP was that it must fully support the PSNI. These comments by Mr McCrea and additional demands by Dr Paisley on Tuesday that the IRA must disband, hand over its alleged £300 million "criminal empire" and hand over to the police those involved in such criminality, indicated a pre-Scottish talks hardening of attitudes.
In the Assembly, SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone, taking issue with some additional criticism of the SDLP by Mr McCrea, responded by making reference to the DUP's former association with loyalist paramilitaries and Mr McCrea's decision to support a rally for Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright, although Mr McCrea has regularly stated he opposed loyalist violence.
Mr McGlone said: "I resent taking sanctimonious lectures directed at my own party from the DUP: the red beret revolutionaries, the mountain top mutineers; yes, and those who marched on the streets with paramilitaries. So, no more lectures, no more lectures. Those in glass houses should not be throwing stones. And well yes, Billy Wright as well."
Mr Durkan, who was in New York for the Clinton Global Initiative yesterday, said the DUP was adding "precondition after precondition" before it would agree to the restoration of devolution.
"Instead of ruling these preconditions out, the British government has indulged them - even promising new legislation to undermine the Agreement. So it's no surprise to see that Ian Paisley is now raising the bar even higher," he said.
"Paisley demands IRA disbandment. But the key issue is not disbandment. It is that all paramilitary groups cease to act as armies or militias, as police forces, political intelligence services or as crime gangs. That is what really matters. As for criminal assets, it is for the governments North and South to make clear that there will be no let up in recovering the proceeds of crime from any paramilitary group," added Mr Durkan.
