Northern Ireland Assembly in crisis: What can be done?

The Northern Ireland Assembly is on the verge of collapse after Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble announced that the party would boycott meetings of the executive and withdraw its ministers from the assembly.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness met with the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair at Downing Street on Tuesday morning in an attempt to resolve the crisis over decommissioning.

The meeting was arranged at Sinn Fein's request following Monday's failed attempt by the UUP and the Democratic Unionist Party to exclude the party from the power-sharing executive.

What do you think can be done to resolve the current deadlock in Northern Ireland? Does the assembly have a central role to play in the future of the province? Is there a sense of deja-vu about this situation?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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Your reaction

We should forget about sticking up peace walls and start building peace bridges

Frank O'Brien, England

I think the use of the term "terrorist" should not be used in the context it is frequently done here. Try putting yourselves in the position of being dominated by a foreign and alien state and have some sensitivity for a national liberation movement. Disarm all sides in the conflict as the agreement stated. Don't expect the republicans to give up any arms before the British Army, RUC, UVF and all the other armed loyalists agree to disarm. We should forget about sticking up peace walls and start building peace bridges. The UK needs all its weapons to fight America's dirty little wars.
Frank O'Brien, England

Frank O'Brien from England has protrayed the British government as some sort of invading force. Whatever you might like to believe, the people of Northern Ireland are not living under an evil regime. The easy way to sort this out would be to stop voting for terrorist/politicians and choose decent law-abiding members of the community to voice their opinions. With the politicians they've got, they don't really have much chance of sorting out all the problems.
Ruth, England

No concessions offered by the nationalist community will ever be sufficient to persuade dyed-in-the-wool unionists to enter into government with them. In the long run, Westminster will have to bite the bullet and realise that the only way forward is to rule Northern Ireland under a system of joint sovereignty with Dublin. Under such a system London can act as guarantor on the part of the Northern Ireland community that identifies with Britain while Dublin can do the same for that part of the community that regards itself as Irish.
Mike Collins, UK

Both sides need to grow up and learn to live together

CJ, UK

You don't see Sinn Fein making a huge deal about the fact that none of the Loyalists have disarmed. Why? Because its not important... The possession of arms is immaterial - its the will to use them. The IRA have shown in the past couple of years that they are abiding to the ceasefire. Unlike the loyalists who seem to be continuing using terrorism to try and get their own way in Belfast.

So yet again we are seeing the unionists being shamed by the nationalists in their inability to overcome prejudice. But both sides need to grow up and learn to live together and respect their differences without violence.
CJ, UK

Does your definition of a normal "democracy" include parties being allowed to retain tons of weapons in case they're needed to murder, or threaten to murder, their political opponents in the future?
Henry Case, UK

The assembly may collapse but it will be reinstated. The I.R.A will decommission their weapons. It's alway's been just a matter of time and pressure. The truth is that we are on the road to peace and there is no turning back. The I.R.A and Sein Finn know that the armed struggle has had it's day - even more so in the light of the tragic events of September 11th. We are in the end game . Once peace has truly settled and established itself then we can get down to the real business of working through the religious intolerance and the sectarian hatred that so corrupts and pollutes our society.
A.Maxwell, Ireland

It's clear neither side in Northern Ireland is interested in a peaceful settlement

Glenn Cruddas, England

It's clear neither side in Northern Ireland is interested in a peaceful settlement, or indeed in democracy. It's also clear that the time is up for the UK as a unified country. England should go it alone, good luck to Scotland and Wales and to hell with all the fanatics in Northern Ireland. The nationalists and loyalists deserve each other. Their conflict isn't about freedom or self-determination. It's about religious hatred. The rest of the UK respects tolerance and the rule of law. Scotland in my opinion will become independent within the next ten years. Then again it may not. Regardless not a shot will have been fired or one person killed. It is a pity we can't say the same about Northern Ireland.
Glen Cruddas, England

It's too bad that the many and varied world crises in the wake of imperialism can't learn from each other. Even as Afghanistan is bombed by the vengeful Bush administration, they express support for an eventual Palestinian state. Sinn Fein can no more be held responsible for IRA decommissioning than Arafat can be for Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
Terry Burnsed, USA

Just who are these people saying that the IRA possessing weapons is no big deal, as long as they are not used? Nowhere else in the civilised world would a political party serving in government be allowed to have links with a known terrorist organisation that has it's own cache of weapons and personal army.
Mike, UK

Mike, UK - that's exactly what the ANC did!
Sean, Ireland

Other countries have a similar problem, Mike. In Spain, ETA is still active and yet it has strong links with the Basque separatist party that usually does pretty well in the regional elections.
Pascal Jacquemain, UK (French)

If the IRA high command won't listen what more can Adams do?

Peter, London, England

The concept of "decommissioning" was invented by extreme unionists in order to derail the peace process and it looks as though they have succeeded. Right from the start the deal should have been political concessions in exchange for a ceasefire. The fact is that the IRA have delivered a ceasefire. Just think of the numbers that were being killed in tit-for-tat actions in the early 1990s. As Gerry Adams has said, "if the dog isn't barking, why kick it?" Trimble also needs to remember that the Good Friday agreement said that all the parties would use all their "influence" to achieve decommissioning. Clearly Sinn Fein has done this. If the IRA high command won't listen what more can Adams do? If the unionists finally kill the agreement, the only solution is for the British and Irish governments to open direct negotiations towards the obvious solution - permanent shared sovereignty.
Peter, London, England

Peter in London claims the SF leadership has used its influence on decommissioning. Considering the alleged overlap between the leaderships of the IRA and SF, surely if the SF leaders actually wanted decommissioning, the IRA terrorists would do it tomorrow.
Mike, Northern Ireland

All illegal guns from both communities should be handed in immediately to the police for destruction - under the cover of a one month amnesty if necessary. The retention of weapons by either side has nothing to do with freedom-fighing or community protection. It is blackmail of the democratic process and unacceptable.
Susan , UK

David Trimble is absolutely right to highlight the failure of the Republican movement to hand over their weapons

Steve Richmond, UK

David Trimble is absolutely right to highlight the failure of the Republican movement to hand over their weapons. He has given them chance after chance to demonstrate that they are in the business of democracy. We all hope Sinn Fein/IRA will start the process of decommissioning soon, because failure to do so will result in a lot of great work being undone.
Steve Richmond, UK

This should not be a state of crisis and I don't think Gerry Adams is particularly helpful or cooperative. After, what, three years of changes in Northern Ireland, the only things that have not changed are IRA weapons. I thought that over the last few months they might have moved. And what about this 'war against terrorism'? The IRA are, or were, terrorists (not freedom fighters), and all everyone is asking for is that they disband their weapons. Then the parliament can resume. Is that too much to ask?
Colin, Netherlands

Crisis, what crisis? Surely when the current military strikes in the Middle East have subsided then the US and GB will immediately turn their hand to NI, won't they? Both have clearly indicated that they will eradicate terrorism wherever it may reside. Or will Bush and Blair be seen to be hypocritical? Surely not!
Dave, UK

It is ironic that Mr Trimble is making such a noise about IRA decommissioning at a time when Loyalist violence has been reaching new and alarming heights. If General De Chastelain was happy with the IRA proposals a few short weeks ago, why have we suddenly fallen back to the current impasse? If the guns remain largely silent then the Executive members on all sides have a duty to their electorate to continue striving for peace and working together. There really is no other solution.
Shaun, Teignmouth, UK

To solve the Northern Ireland problem Colombia should form a coalition (perhaps with Iraq) and launch an anti-terrorist campaign against the IRA and the countries that support them, the Irish Republic and the USA. Come on Bush and Blair, lets not be hypocrites, if this action is good enough against the Taleban then it is applicable to the IRA and UDF as well. Ask the politicians that one and watch them run for cover.
Dennis Knox, New Zealand

The Good Friday Agreement specifically commits all parties to work for "total disarmament". No ifs, no ands, no buts. And no special deal for the IRA.
Jon Livesey, USA

Without a doubt the assembly is the cornerstone to peace in Northern Ireland.

Pete, Ireland

Without a doubt the assembly is the cornerstone to peace in Northern Ireland. The politicians should forget their bitter past and work on a peaceful future. The issue of decommisioning should not be the cause of its downfall. Its time to move forward
Pete, Ireland

It's time for this Labour Government to allow some of the principles it apparently has in the international forum to trickle into practice on home soil. By that I mean that its time to take a stance against those who refuse to denounce terrorist activities and not continue with the current strategy of appeasement.
C Pataky, UK