Senior Sinn Féin figures will meet on Saturday to review the prospects for holding a special ardfheis on policing, amid mounting concern about the DUP's willingness to share power.
Following a meeting yesterday of Sinn Féin's senior officer board executive, chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness said "very great concern" had been expressed about the Rev Ian Paisley's declaration that he has not agreed to a transfer of powers over policing and justice from Westminster to Stormont in May 2008. "I think the DUP need to reflect, because if they are now ruling out powersharing by March 26th this year and transfer of powers on policing and justice by May 2008 [ then] that is a very serious development by any standards," he said.
Mr McGuinness said Sinn Féin's willingness to hold a policing ardfheis was predicated on the DUP making it clear in advance that it would share power. However, Sinn Féin has given a strong welcome to a statement expected today from the British government ruling out any role for MI5 in Northern Ireland policing in future.
British prime minister Tony Blair is to make a statement today on the issue, which has been the subject of difficult negotiations with Sinn Féin for months. "The statement that we expect will make it absolutely clear that they will have no role whatsoever within civic policing. That has been a bedrock demand of Sinn Féin," said Mitchel McLaughlin.
"We can now expect that this issue has been removed as an option: the embedding of MI5, the establishment of a force within a force that would be beyond democratic accountability. We believe that that is a positive outcome from a very, very intensive engagement,"he said.
However, Mr McGuinness complained that the Irish Government "had effectively sat back on the issue" in the wake of the St Andrews talks in October "when they should have been more pro-active". Questioned about Saturday's proposed meeting of the party's ard comhairle, Mr McGuinness said the party leadership would not be putting any motion forward.
"It is only right that the ruling body - given the events of the last few weeks - should come together to review all of this. They will make the decision."
Seeking clarity from the DUP, he said Sinn Féin supporters and others are "now increasingly concerned" about its intentions and willingness to share power, and agree to a transfer of policing and justice powers.
"People are far from certain that if there was to be an election in the North on March 7th that that will result in a powersharing government by the 26th, or participation by the DUP in the all-Ireland ministerial council," he said.
