The Five Demands

Peter Robison ha firmato una lettera di dimissioni dalla carica di Primo Ministro per garantire il sostegno del suo partito alla devolution

La lettera di dimissioni ‘post-datata’ firmata da Peter Robinson dalla carica di Primo Ministro, dovrebbe servire a garantire il sostegno dei 14 parlamentari che sono a tutt’oggi molto incerti sul futuro trasferimento dei poteri di polizia e giustizia da Westminster a Stormont.
Da quanto è trapelato la lettera dovrebbe essere resa effettiva dall’esecutivo del partito nel caso ritengano che il Sinn Fein non rispetti uno qualsiasi dei punti dell’accordo, consentento in questo modo all’esecutivo stesso (più di 100 persone) di abbattere Stormont.
Il meccanismo permetterebbe la rimozione di Peter Robinson dalla carica di Primo Ministro, anche se i parlamentari del DUP decidessero di restare al governo.
Si ritiene che la lettera sia stata affidata a Lord Morrow, presidente del partito e uno dei più scettici sul rapido trasferimento di poteri. Tuttavia, Lord Morrow ha rifiutato di commentare la questione.
Una fonte del DUP ha dichiarato che la lettera di dimissioni è stata una delle “due garanzie supplementari” al fine di garantire che i repubblicani non giungano alla devolution in materia di polizia e giustizia il prossimo aprile, rifiutandosi di permettere l’abolizione della Parades Commission in dicembre.
Resta inteso che il Sinn Fein non è stato informato del meccanismo interno del DUP per garantire il rispetto dell’accordo da parte repubblicana.

Robinson resignation ‘post-dated’ (NewsLetter)
Peter Robinson signed a post-dated letter of resignation as First Minister to secure his party’s support for policing and justice, it can be revealed.
The letter, which was not suggested until after last Monday’s tense meeting of DUP Assembly members, was introduced to secure the support of the 14 MLAs who at that point were still wary of the deal on offer.
Crucially, the letter had to be given to his party executive to activate if at any point they decide that Sinn Fein had not delivered, enabling the DUP executive – more than 100 people – to pull down Stormont.
Effectively the mechanism means that Mr Robinson can be removed as First Minister, even if the DUP’s MLAs still want to remain in Government.
It is believed that the letter has been entrusted to Lord Morrow, the party chairman and one of its strongest sceptics of swiftly devolving policing and justice. However, Lord Morrow refused to comment on the issue.
A DUP source told the News Letter that the resignation letter was one of “two additional safeguards” to ensure republicans do not secure devolved policing and justice in April but then refuse to allow the Parades Commission’s abolishment in December.
The individual described the cross-community Assembly vote on devolving policing and justice on March 9 as the “belt” and the letter as the “braces” of the party’s double mechanism for ensuring Sinn Fein’s compliance with what the parties have agreed.
That, the individual said, had given the party’s MLAs who were unhappy at the deal on offer confidence that it could be enforced as policing and justice powers, along with all other devolved matters, would return to Westminster in the event of the Assembly falling.
It is understood that Sinn Fein was not told of the internal DUP mechanism for ensuring republicans’ compliance with the agreement.
Mr Robinson’s post-dated resignation letter mirrors the letter which the party leadership made every DUP Assembly member sign when they stood for the party in 2007, meaning that Mr Robinson could ‘resign’ one of his MLAs without their consent.
The device was seen as a way of the party leadership maintaining control of its Assembly members.
However, the only time when a resignation letter was activated was last month when Mr Robinson resigned his wife following her affair and business dealings with a 19-year-old man.