Northern Ireland Faces Crisis as Unionist First Minister Resigns

nytimes.com ^ | SEPT. 10, 2015 | DOUGLAS DALBY

[Berlin_Freeper]

DUBLIN — The fractious power-sharing provincial government in Northern Ireland came perilously close to collapse on Thursday as Peter Robinson, leader of the majority party, followed through on his threat to resign as first minister. It was the latest chapter in a political crisis prompted by police claims that the Irish Republican Army is still active a decade after it said it had disbanded.

Mr. Robinson, who heads the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, was joined by all but one of his fellow Democratic Unionist ministers in the 15-member executive branch of the legislature, the Northern Ireland Assembly. Under the system of proportional representation used in Northern Ireland, the multiparty executive branch cannot function if either of the two largest parties fails to participate.

[oldplayer]

I confess; I went to the NYT’s link and read the article. Sorry I gave them the ‘hit’ now. Article was 90% old news and mainly conjecture. Predictable article about the same old issues.

Oldplayer

[Berlin_Freeper]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-gravely-concerned-about-northern-ireland-crisis-as-powersharing-agreement-comes-close-to-collapse-10495311.html

[Movemout]

I live in NI and anyone who thinks that all disagreements have been resolved are way wrong. There is no agreement on what problems need fixing , or what problems even exist.I’m moving out of country. Dissolving the parliament in Stormont is not an answer to anything. ID the perp(s) and deliver swift justice is step one. Period.

[OldNewYork]

What IRA are they talking about? Are they saying the Provisionals, the one the agreement was with, are still active? Or are they saying the Continuity or Real ones, who didn’t exist at the time for there to be an agreement with, are active?

[Vaquero]

Perhaps congressman Peter King can resupply the IRA with guns while trying to ban them for patriotic Americans.

[gusty]

They are talking about the Provos. Apparently they still exist in some organized form, and are experiencing some sort of internal feud with the example of the two killings. The implication is that come election time, there would be some level of intimidation of the electorate in some districts if they are still active.