Northern Secretary Peter Hain last night attempted to downplay the failure of the Northern Assembly to elect DUP leader Ian Paisley as the North's First Minister and Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams proposed Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness for the two top Executive posts but, as expected, the DUP leader dismissively rejected the nomination.
Speaking first in Irish and then in English, and to some taunting from the DUP benches, Mr Adams made his nominations through the speaker Eileen Bell. Ms Bell in turn asked Dr Paisley did he accept the nomination.
"Certainly not, Madam Speaker," said the DUP leader. "I think it goes without saying that the reasons [for rejecting the proposal] are well known across this province, and they have been endorsed by the majority of the unionist voters," he added.
While this result was widely predicted there was some hope that an Ulster Unionist Party proposal to form an all-party Assembly committee focusing solely on restoring devolution, which was due to be discussed in the Assembly today, would provide an opportunity for progress to be made.
UUP leader Sir Reg Empey argued that this would be a means of compelling the DUP and Sinn Féin to sit around the same table to tackle issues that were blocking the reinstatement of a fully functioning Northern Executive and Assembly.
When his idea emerged over the weekend all the parties, including DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson, indicated that they saw potential in the proposal. However, outside the Assembly chamber yesterday, Dr Paisley made clear that he would not be party to such a committee, as he would not sit face-to-face with Sinn Féin leaders such as Mr Adams. "I will not be sitting at any table with a person who is responsible in the leadership of IRA-Sinn Féin. Or I will not be at any table with anyone else, no matter what terrorist organisation they associate with," said Dr Paisley.
He added that neither would he sit with Sir Reg in such a committee because the UUP leader had allowed Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine, with the PUP's UVF links, to take the UUP whip in the Assembly.
It had been intended that the Assembly would today discuss Sir Reg's motion but because of Dr Paisley's stance, Mr Hain, who effectively sets the Assembly agenda, was forced to withdraw the proposal from today's order of business. The Assembly will today discuss an SDLP motion on rural planning. Sinn Féin said it will boycott today's debate.
Mr Hain, who yesterday evening held talks with the main parties, said the result of yesterday's attempt to elect a First and Deputy First Minister was no surprise. "Our focus remains on restoring devolution by November 24th," he said.
While Sir Reg's motion was withdrawn, a senior Northern Ireland Office source said Mr Hain was still seriously examining creating some form of committee or structure to address how devolution might be reinstated. "[Yesterday] was not a body blow to the process. We believe the general principle of a committee to prepare for the return of devolution is a good idea, and we hope to make an announcement on the matter in the next few days," he added.
Sir Reg accused Dr Paisley of "running away" from real politics.
