The deadline for establishing a functioning power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland passed Monday without agreement but there is still a “short window” of opportunity to achieve one over the next “few weeks,” Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has said.
The failure to find a solution by 4 p.m. (local time) on Monday opened the possibility of further negotiations, a snap election or even the British government re-imposing direct rule.
Brokenshire has decided to give the parties more time, saying there is no appetite for a further election. He described the timescale as a “few weeks” at a press conference shortly after the deadline passed.
“I believe that there remains an overwhelming desire among the political parties and the public here for strong and stable devolved government. I’ve spoken to the leaders of each of the main parties this afternoon and there is no appetite for any alternative. I’ll be making a statement in parliament tomorrow on the next steps,” he said.
“We now have a short window of opportunity to resolve outstanding issues and for an executive to be formed. Everyone owes it to the people of Northern Ireland to grasp that and provide the political leadership and the stability that they want,” Brokenshire added.
Brokenshire said it is “extremely disappointing” that an agreement has not been reached yet, and the passing of the deadline will have been greeted with “widespread dismay across the community.”
All-party talks to form a new executive collapsed Sunday night. Problems have been brewing since January when former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness – who died last week after a short illness – stepped down, triggering an election.
McGuinness, whose party, Sinn Féin, wants a united Ireland, stepped down because of a row with the then First Minister Arlene Foster over a renewable energy policy.
A snap election in March led to Sinn Féin winning 27 seats, one fewer than the Democratic Unionist Party, the largest in the Executive.
Northern Ireland’s power-sharing arrangement means nationalists and unionists, who want to remain part of the UK, have to work together, with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister leading the executive.
