SDLP’s Senior
Negotiator and MLA for North Antrim Seán Farren has accused Sinn Fein and the
DUP of almost conspiring together to place obstacles in the way of restoring
political institutions.
Mr Farren said: “The slow pace of progress is creating
widespread disillusionment. It’s no wonder the rest of world is beginning to
ignore us and soon even many of our friends will forget about us altogether.
And it’s all because two parties, despite what they say, are failing to build
confidence that they serious about wanting devolution back.
On the one hand the
DUP continue to heap pre-condition on precondition and refuse outright to indicate when or if they
will ever sign up to the political institutions.
On the other, Sinn
Fein won’t sign up to the policing institutions and while participating in the
Preparation for Government Committee refuse to sign off on its reports or to
engage in Assembly debates.
People outside
Northern Ireland and increasingly many inside the North cannot understand why these
parties are just holding things up and holding progress back. They are
baffled and bored and can only conclude there is a lack of will to solve our
problems with any urgency.
If there is no
devolution politics will not stop and parties will have to make the best of yet
another failure to develop a partnership administration and create
opportunities for all-island development. Indeed whatever happens by the 24th
November the Good Friday Agreement will remain the bedrock for any progress
that can be made thereafter.
In
those circumstances the two Governments must continue to take the lead in
implementing the Agreement and in developing a radical renewal of the North
South agenda. They must make clear that even if devolution is blocked, no
party can be allowed to block change nor any party allowed to turn the
clock back or take us back to pre-Agreement politics.”