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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Sinn Fein backs police conference | Sinn Fein backs police conference |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Sinn Fein leadership has voted for a special party conference in January on the issue of whether to support policing in Northern Ireland. | |
| Speaking after talks in Dublin, party president Gerry Adams said the meeting would be held if the two governments and the DUP gave a positive response. | Speaking after talks in Dublin, party president Gerry Adams said the meeting would be held if the two governments and the DUP gave a positive response. |
| More than two-thirds of the executive voted in favour of the meeting. | More than two-thirds of the executive voted in favour of the meeting. |
| Sinn Fein support for policing would be viewed as removing one of the main obstacles to restoring devolution. | Sinn Fein support for policing would be viewed as removing one of the main obstacles to restoring devolution. |
| However a date for the meeting, or ard fheis, has not yet been confirmed. | However a date for the meeting, or ard fheis, has not yet been confirmed. |
| 'Co-operate fully' | 'Co-operate fully' |
| Speaking after the six-hour meeting, Mr Adams said the debate was "frank, comradely and robust". | Speaking after the six-hour meeting, Mr Adams said the debate was "frank, comradely and robust". |
| "I put a motion to the party leadership and the party leadership endorsed that by more than the two thirds majority," he said. | "I put a motion to the party leadership and the party leadership endorsed that by more than the two thirds majority," he said. |
| "I am totally wedded to the idea of every single person who wants to be part of this debate, being part of the debate, because it's about the future, it's about the type of Ireland we want to see." | "I am totally wedded to the idea of every single person who wants to be part of this debate, being part of the debate, because it's about the future, it's about the type of Ireland we want to see." |
| Sinn Fein said the motion put forward would include a commitment to "actively encourage everyone in the community to co-operate fully with the police services in tackling crime in all areas and actively supporting all the criminal justice institutions". | Sinn Fein said the motion put forward would include a commitment to "actively encourage everyone in the community to co-operate fully with the police services in tackling crime in all areas and actively supporting all the criminal justice institutions". |
| Earlier Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Hain, described Sinn Fein's move as "historic" and "seismic". | |
| "The move on policing and the rule of law by Sinn Fein is of historic importance," he said. | |
| "I believe it's seismic in its implications for the future of Northern Ireland - of politics, policing and the rule of law." | |
| Delivery key for DUP | |
| But earlier, the DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson said "words needed to be matched by deeds". | |
| And BBC Ireland correspondent Denis Murray said the key for the DUP would be "delivery". | |
| Alex Attwood, SDLP spokesman, said: "Everybody including the DUP should now consider acting quickly and positively to the situation that's developing. | |
| "The DUP have every good reason to now move ahead to acknowledge what Sinn Fein are doing". | |
| The British and Irish governments have named 7 March as the date for fresh assembly elections, with a new executive expected to be up and running by 26 March. | The British and Irish governments have named 7 March as the date for fresh assembly elections, with a new executive expected to be up and running by 26 March. |
| Talks aimed at restoring the assembly and its executive have been taking place since the St Andrews Agreement negotiations in November. | Talks aimed at restoring the assembly and its executive have been taking place since the St Andrews Agreement negotiations in November. |