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Northern Ireland election

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Advisors in talks

  • Mark Devenport
  • 16 Feb 07, 05:07 PM

Is the government really still guessing about whether the DUP will or won't share power? I've just penned an article for the 麻豆官网首页入口 NI election website pointing out that, despite the campaign, key advisors are still talking to senior civil servants about a peace dividend and the local parties' priorities for government. An insider says the "baton change" is already underway. Common sense, so the parties don't take power stone cold, or something the voters should be told? The full article should be posted later this evening...

Comments   Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 11:41 AM on 19 Feb 2007,
  • gary blair wrote:

The DUP will obviously enter a power sharing Executive with Sinn Fein. Although I have found many in the party telling me that the St Andrews Agreement is an agreement between the British and Irish governments, the DUP is a co-architect of it. Indeed, on the Insight programme broadcast on 29th January, Doc Paisley stated:
I accepted the agreement I was asked to accept.
The issue for the DUP is convincing the people (their electorate) that they have not compromised even though they have. That is why the party leadership has been so reticent about telling the electorate the truth. They can't afford to as it would be electoral suicide yet they can't afford to lie or Hain will get jumpy and pull the election.

I am finding that the vast majority of DUP voters who are angry, are angry mostly at the speed of the U Turn. On 12th July 2006, Doc said it would be over his dead body if Sinn Fein were to be in Government in NI and 3 months later his party gave assent to the mechanisms that would bring them in. People are confused and angry. The DUP did not bring the party grassroots or the voters with them at all.

On the other side of the coin, Adams et al began 26 years ago when Sands won Fermanagh/S Tyrone. They saw the mileage in electoral politics and began a very slow yet consistent process of change, shedding purists in 1986 and 1997 but remaining pretty much in tact as a movement. The DUP U turn was done with break neck speed and has raised the ire of voters because the leadership seem to be saying 'OK we've changed course. Don't question us and don't argue. We know best. Be sure and vote for us'.

Not exactly a recipe for success but that's how many voters see it. The 2005 manifesto, upon which the DUP became the largest party was shredded at St Andrews and thus the party must be careful not to come out and tell the truth about their intentions. The truth - they WILL enter power sharing with Sinn Fein under d'Hondt AFTER 26th March so they can compromise whilst still being seen to play hardball.

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