Progress in Northern Ireland?!
After many months of political stalemate, as the British government's deadline of November 24th for the Northern Irish parties to agree to terms to reinstate the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly looms ever-closer, there has finally been some movement that suggests reasons to be optimistic. Last Thursday, the Independent Monitoring Commission, which is an international body that has agreed to monitor the status of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, issued its Twelfth Report. In addition to explaining that loyalist paramilitary violence continues relatively unchecked (facts that garner relatively little press inside or outside of Northern Ireland), the IMC stated in about as many different ways as possible that the Provisional IRA has permanently put its violent struggle behind it, and has fully committed to pursuing a united Ireland through peaceful means. This is tremendous yet unsurprising news, and it puts the pressure and political ball squarely in the court of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by the bull-headed and bigoted Reverand Doctor Ian Paisley. Not exactly the person in whose hands you would want the entire short-term opportunity to restore the political process in Northern Ireland, but there you have it. As the leader of the majority Unionist party of the overall Unionist majority, Paisley's DUP holds the most seats of any party in the now-suspended Northern Ireland Assembly. Paisley was appropriately quiet after the IMC report about the IRA, which gives me to be hope that perhaps he is contemplating that he will finally agree to enter into government with Sinn Fein. Today, Paisley made the historic step of meeting with high-ranking Catholic leaders -- a move which to this date, the virulent anti-Catholic and anti-Papist Paisley has refused to do. There are some, however, who are not particularly optimistic that he will choose this path of progress. I actually am pretty optimistic, because I think Paisley's huge ego and desire to create himself as a savior suggests that he will seize this opportunity to make the crucial move to restore the political propcess -- and in doing so, ensure that he will become the First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive. If he sends signals that he will make some movement, Sinn Fein will likely announce that they will support the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which is the last step that the nationalist and republican community has yet to take. With all the movement from the republican position, however, they are probably reserving this card a bit longer until there is some sign of reciprocity from the DUP. Yet I imagine they are willing to make this endorsement in order to secure agreement by the November deadline. Tomorrow the major political parties will be meeting with the British and Irish governments to attempt to lay the groundwork for the final month of political negotiations before next month's deadline. Let's hope there's good news then, and in a month. My experiences there suggest that the majority of Northern Ireland's residents want a political settlement, and that they are deeply disheartened with the repetitive political strife, with the same arguments and counter-arguments leading no where, as the province continues without any local political institutions to set local policy priorities. It's time for the DUP to take the difficult step of admitting that their obstinate position is no longer viable. I desperately want them to be wise enough to do so.