WORLD / Top News
Northern Ireland power sharing begins
(AP)
Updated: 2007-05-08 20:57
BELFAST - Northern Ireland's Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders,
arch-foes during decades of bloodshed, launched a new power-sharing
government in the British province on Tuesday aiming to put a final end
to violence.
Hardline Protestant cleric Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness
took a pledge of office as first minister and deputy first minister in
the government that will have authority over local issues in the province.
The ceremony could help to cement political stability in the province
which, since a 1998 peace accord, has largely ended 30 years of sectarian
conflict that killed 3,600 people.
"I affirm the terms of the pledge of office," Paisley said, binding
himself to a pledge which includes a commitment to non-violence and
support for policing in the British province.
McGuinness repeated the words at a meeting of the Northern Ireland
assembly at Belfast's Stormont building.
The ceremony put into practice a March 26 agreement between the main
Protestant and Catholic groups, Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
and Sinn Fein, political ally of the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
guerrilla group, to share power after years of deadlock.
Unlike previous, failed attempts at power-sharing, the leaders appear
determined this time to make it work.
"It is a special day because we are making a new beginning and I believe
we're starting on a road which will bring us back to peace and
prosperity," Paisley said as he arrived at Stormont.
McGuinness said it was a historic day, noting: "What we're going to see
today is one of the mightiest leaps forward that this process has seen in
almost 15 years."
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said power-sharing proved that dialogue and
perseverance could bring results.
"We're going to change the political landscape from here out," he said.
"We are going to succeed."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern,
who have guided the Northern Ireland peace process for the past decade,
were due to speak at a reception later.
Blair, who plans to stand down as prime minister soon, sees the latest
power-sharing deal between the Protestant majority and Catholic minority
as one of the main achievements of his 10 years in power after previous
deals proved short-lived.
CHEMISTRY
British Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, who signed an order on
Monday transferring local government powers from London back to the
province, praised the leaders' determination.
"Given that until literally a few weeks ago they'd never even passed a
word between each other... the personal chemistry between them is very
good," Hain told BBC radio
"...We really are at the dawn of a new democratic future... I think it
will stick and I think it will work," he said.
Paisley and McGuinness have made a good start to their new partnership,
smiling and chatting when they greeted European Commission President Jose
Manuel Barroso last week.
It has been a strange role reversal for the 80-year-old Paisley who has
been an outspoken defender of Northern Ireland's British links and until
recently refused to talk to Sinn Fein, which he viewed as
indistinguishable from the IRA that waged a bloody 30-year campaign
against British rule.
McGuinness, a former member of the IRA, and Sinn Fein want to see the
province united with the Irish Republic to the south.
The home-rule assembly was first set up under the 1998 Good Friday peace
deal, but Britain suspended it and resumed direct rule from London in
2002 after Sinn Fein offices at Stormont were raided by police
investigating an alleged IRA spy ring.
The peace dividend is evident in Belfast where the economy has picked up
and construction cranes dominate the skyline.
Top World News
� Northern Ireland power sharing begins
� 6 charged with plot to attack N.J. base
� Cameroon recovers plane crash bodies, black box
� Bush rolls out the red carpet for Queen
� N.Korea ready to shut down reactor
Today's Top News
� China stocks at new high, yuan breaks key barrier
� Japan PM makes shrine offering
� Population 'faces risk of rebound'
� Wen calls for reduction in pollution
� China's equity bubble is building, may burst
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
No comments:
Post a Comment