Policing issue 'can not be forced'

SDLP is still hoping to gain ground on police reforms

The government would be foolish to pressurise nationalists into endorsing its plans for implementing policing reform in Northern Ireland, the Social Democratic and Labour Party have warned.

An SDLP delegation is to meet RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan on Wednesday morning to discuss the changes to policing.

The party delegation met Northern Ireland Office security minister Adam Ingram at Stormont on Tuesday to express their concerns about the issue, which along with the issues of paramilitary decommissioning and demilitarisation is threatening the stability of the province's powersharing arrangement.

Alban Maginness: "SDLP arguing on behalf of society"

Speaking at Stormont after meeting Mr Ingram, north Belfast assembly member Alban Maginness said: "This is not a party political issue as far as we are concerned. This is an issue for the whole of society.

"If we do not get policing right, then it fundamentally weakens the chances that we have for a peaceful, democratic society here.

"That is why we are working to achieve a credible basis for a new beginning to policing in Northern Ireland and that is not party political.

"That is something everybody should be working towards and governments should be insisting for us all to work towards."

Under pressure

Mr Maginness was speaking as the SDLP faced renewed pressure from the government to break ranks from Sinn Fein and nominate members to the Police Board to which the new Police Service of Northern Ireland will be accountable.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson warned the SDLP on Monday that failure to endorse the new Police Service of Northern Ireland and nominate members to the Police Board could "torpedo" the whole peace process.

Peter Mandelson: Appealing to SDLP to support reforms

However, the SDLP is still resisting calls for it to declare whether it will nominate to the board and has criticised the police reforms outlined in the Police NI Act for falling short of nationalist expectations created by the Patten Report on the future of policing in Northern Ireland.

In particular, the SDLP has been seeking guarantees on the neutrality of the emblem of the new police service, the future of the full-time reserve and the closure of Gough Barracks in south Armagh.

With a general election looming this year, Mr Maginness said his party was still committed to reaching a decision soon on the new policing arrangements.

He added: "We are not waiting for any elections before we make any decision in relation to this. We are prepared to work and work very hard to reach a conclusion as soon as possible.

"I believe that the government - and my colleagues would share this belief - has the will. However, to date, they haven't responded positively to the issues that we believe are central to a resolution of this whole situation."

Sinn Fein talks

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein is due to resume talks with the government this week or early next week.

The party has called on the government to be "flexible" on the issues of demilitarisation and policing.

Martin McGuinness: "Government must honour demilitarisation agreement"

Intensive talks between Sinn Fein and the government broke down before Christmas without agreement when the party's president, Gerry Adams, said the onus was on Tony Blair to move the process forward.

The current impasse is casting a shadow over the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which reconvenes next week after its Christmas recess, and the other Good Friday Agreement institutions.

Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster on Tuesday morning, Sinn Fein education minister Martin McGuinness said the party was not running away from the issue of decommissioning.

"Of course, we will also deal with what was also a very important part of the 6 May talks of last year, how we put in place a process which, as a result of the fulfilling of the context which was promised at the time, will see a situation where the armed groups will face up to the need to put arms beyond use," he said.

"If this is of concern to unionists, we want to sort this out."

He said Mr Blair had signed up to the full implementation of the report by the Independent Commission on Policing headed by Chris Patten during the May 2000 talks.

He said the prime minister had also made promises on the issue of demilitarisation in areas such as south Armagh.

His arguments had been accepted by Mr Blair and by the United States and Irish governments but difficulties still persisted in convincing Peter Mandelson, he said.

Unionist concern

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland First Minister and Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble is expected to come under increasing pressure to ensure that the IRA delivers on its commitments on disarmament.

He has placed sanctions on Sinn Fein's two ministers, by excluding them from meetings of the North-South Ministerial Council, over the issue.

Mr Trimble's decision has been challenged in the courts by Martin McGuinness and health minister Bairbre de Brun.

The case began in the High Court in Belfast before Christmas but a decision has been deferred.