Blair unilaterally declares NI elections postponed

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has confirmed that elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly have been postponed until the autumn.

Mr Blair said that the lack of clarity on the IRA's position on future paramilitary activities meant that holding elections on May 29 was not possible.

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy announced the reasons for the postponement to the House of Commons earlier today.

At a press conference held in Downing Street, Mr Blair said that elections will be held as soon as possible, but had ruled out a shorter time frame, as the summer period for obvious reasons was not the time to hold elections in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister said the basic principle of the Agreement was that "we implement what is in it on the basis that everyone is committed to exclusively peaceful means.

"Until we can be clear on that, there is not a basis for reconstituting the Government in Northern Ireland," he said.

Mr Blair added: “If we have the election now without agreement, we will simply make eventual agreement and the eventual basis for devolved government less likely.”

This he said would “frustrate the very purpose of the Good Friday Agreement”.

The move to further delay the assembly elections follows months of talks between the governments and all the pro-Agreement parties.

The Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that the two governments had worked in partnership, but that he had told the British prime minister as late this morning that he had disagreed with the postponement of the elections.

Speaking in Dublin after the announcement, Mr Ahern said: “Today we have to acknowledge that this phase of our efforts cannot be brought to a conclusion at this time.

“I know that Prime Minister Blair has already announced that he has made the decision to postpone the elections scheduled for May 29th until the autumn.

“I disagree with the British government on the postponement of these election. I reiterated this on several occasions recently, including in the conversation I had last evening with the prime minister and again this morning.”

Mr Ahern said he thought that a postponement would ultimately cause more problems for the peace process than it would solve.

However, the Taoiseach said: “While we do not agree or endorse this step, let me be clear, and make it clear, that the strength and the critical importance of the political of the partnership of the two governments will endure.”

The postponement of the elections comes in spite of repeated assurances from the Sinn Féin leadership that the IRA has “completely peaceful intentions” in relation to the peace process.

(SP)