Durkan seeks all-party talks to restore Assembly

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Mr Mark Durkan today called forall-party talks to restore the devolved Assembly as soon…

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Mr Mark Durkan today called forall-party talks to restore the devolved Assembly as soon as possible.

As Northern Ireland Secretary Mr John Reid prepared to suspend the Assemblytomorrow and return to direct rule, Mr Durkan warned against a prolonged coolingoff period.

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There is serious danger that the Agreement could go cold and mutualrecrimination could set in. What we need is a shared determination to sort outthe outstanding problems.
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Deputy First Minister, Mr Mark Durkan

"There is serious danger that the Agreement could go cold and mutualrecrimination could set in. What we need is a shared determination to sort outthe outstanding problems."

Speaking in Belfast today, Mr Durkan acknowledged that unionistconfidence needed to be restored after a series of incidents involving the IRAincluding the alleged spy ring at Stormont.

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"But there are also confidence issues that arise because of the continuedvicious violence of loyalist paramilitaries and the questionable response ofunionist politicians to that violence compared to republican activity," headded.

Mr Durkan said that nationalists needed to be reassured that unionists were stillcommitted to implementing all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement.

"I want to see an all-in exercise and an all-out effort by both governmentsand all parties to face up to these confidence issues and to round up all thebits of the Agreement that haven't been progressed in the way they should have.

"These include the Bill of Rights, the Criminal Justice Review, theNorth-South Parliamentary Forum and the new beginning to policing.

"I think we can come out of suspension in a way that allows people to saythat this time it isn't a fudge or another breakdown waiting to happen," headded.

The Deputy First Minister said if the parties could agree to a fullimplementation programme, the Assembly elections could then be brought forwardfrom May 1.

Unionists and nationalists have clashed over how direct rule should operatewhile the institutions are suspended.