The Five Demands

Primo giorno di lavoro per Alerne Foster e devolution in primo piano

Arlene Foster ha ufficialmente preso possesso delle funzioni di Primo Ministro dell’Irlanda del Nord, dopo la decisione di Peter Robinson di auto-sospendersi per poter districare la matassa di guai politici e familiari che lo hanno incastrato negli ultimi giorni.
I governi di Dublino e Londra sono fortemente preoccupati di una battuta d’arresto del processo politico in corso, e vogliono puntare le loro energie sul raggiungimento della devolution direttamente subordinata alla fiducia della comunità, che non sembra esserne ancora convinta, così come confermato da Gregory Campbell (DUP): “Alcune persone pensano che la fiducia della comunità sarà disponibile in sei settimane. Altri potrebbero dire che ci vorranno anni di lavoro in quella direzione. ”
“Credo che ora siano essenziaie  rapidi progressi nei prossimi giorni sul decentramento delle attività di polizia e di giustizia. Questo è nell’interesse di tutti partiti e di tutte le persone che essi rappresentano”, ha dichiarato Brian Cowen, Primo Ministro irlandese.
Nella nottata di ieri e nella giornata di oggi si sono susseguiti colloqui tra i rappresentanti del DUP e del Sinn Fein.
“Siamo impegnati in discussioni con il DUP mentre stiamo parlando. Siamo molto concentrati sulla necessità di un trasferimento anticipato in materia di polizia e di giustizia e noi provvederemo a determinarlo molto rapidamente a prescindere dalla volontà o meno del DUP di onoorare i suoi impegni”, ha affermato Alex Maskey, membro del maggior partito repubblicano.

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Governments meet over devolution row (U TV News)
Arlene Foster has begun her first full day at Stormont as Acting First Minister, as the British and Irish Governments step up the pressure in the aftermath of the Robinson scandal.
With First Minister Peter Robinson standing down for six weeks, Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward and the Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin are due to meet later in Dublin.
London and Dublin are becoming more and more alarmed that any further delay in the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont could end with the collapse of the power-sharing executive.
“I believe it is now essential that there is swift progress in the coming days on the devolution of policing and justice. That is in the interests of all of the parties and all of the people they represent,” Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen said.
Talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein took place on Monday night, with more discussions expected at Stormont on Tuesday.
Republicans have warned progress now needs to happen quickly.
“We are involved in discussions with the DUP as we speak. We’re very focused about the need for an early transfer of policing and justice powers and we’ll determine very quickly as to whether or not the DUP are serious about honouring their commitments,” Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey told UTV.
DUP MP Gregory Campbell said on Tuesday that devolution “should happen”, although the timing still isn’t right.
“We all accept that it should happen”, he told UTV.
“We’re all working for it to happen; we’re offering advice and assistance and attending meetings. But we all agree it can’t happen until there is community confidence. Some people might entail community confidence will be available in six weeks. Others might say it’s going to take years to work through,” Mr Campbell warned.
“It doesn’t matter how many scandals there are, or how many First ministers come and go.”
Both Iris and Peter are now being investigated by the Assembly’s committee on standards and privileges after Mrs Robinson admitted she secured £50,000 from two wealthy developers to help her teenage lover, Kirk McCambley, set up a restaurant business on the banks of the river Lagan in south Belfast.
She is also under investigation after failing to declare her interest.
A BBC documentary further alleged that her husband became aware of the situation but did not take steps to alert the appropriate authorities.
A solicitor representing one of the two property developers said he still expected to see some money paid back.
Lawyers acting for Ken Campbell said: “To date, £20,000 has been repaid, with £5,000 outstanding. With the business up and running, our client expects to be fully repaid and Mr McCambley’s debt cleared.”
It is understood Mrs Robinson is undergoing acute psychiatric treatment at her Dundonald home on the outskirts of east Belfast.
It is unclear whether she will be fit enough to face questions to help the official investigation headed up by Tom Frawley, the Northern Ireland Ombudsman.
Mr Robinson said he was confident he will clear his name as he remains in charge of the DUP’s negotiations over transfer of justice and policing powers from London to Belfast.
On Monday, the DUP assembly team gave Peter Robinson their unanimous support.
“He will lead the party into the General Election with a clean bill of health in terms of his own behaviour and in terms of how he handled circumstances. We have the potential to come out of all this stronger”, DUP MLA Edwin Poots told UTV.
On Monday, the Prime Minister urged all politicians in Northern Ireland “to remain focused on the business of government”.