The British government was today urged to summon Northern Ireland's pro-Agreement parties to talks aimed at resolving the deadlock in the peace process. As Ulster Unionist party officers prepared to set a date for another showdownbetween rival wings at their ruling council, SDLP councillor Ms CarmelHanna said the British government needed to inject new momentum into the peace process.
"As the summer comes to a close it is essential that the British Governmenthas firm plans in place in order to ensure that the situation here is notallowed to drift into autumn," she said.
"The first thing the British government must do is set a date for theAssembly elections.
"SDLP leader Mark Durkan warned that Tony Blair's strategy of postponingelections in order to 'Save Dave' was deeply flawed. Indeed this has proved tobe the case.
"Postponing elections has done little to create unity or heal division withinthe Ulster Unionist Party.
"The government must also call all pro-agreement parties together in order toagree common understandings and undertaking in relation to the JointDeclaration."
Devolution has been suspended in Northern Ireland since last October after thediscovery of an alleged IRA spy ring at Stormont.
Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair cancelled Assembly Elections in May four days intothe campaign when the IRA failed to come up with a clear enough declaration ofan end to all paramilitary activity.
Since then, hopes that the political deadlock could be broken have faded asrival wings of the Ulster Unionist Party clashed over their response to jointdeclaration from London and Dublin on the implementation of the Agreement.
Ms Hanna, the former Stormont Employment and Learning Minister, also arguedtoday that political progress could no longer be held up any further because ofin-fighting in the UUP.
"People here must be given a very clear signal that progress can still bemade," the south Belfast councillor insisted.