Northern Ireland is set to hold a Parliamentary election before Christmas as the deadline to restore the government developed at Stormont has passed.
The region has been in political turmoil for months with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refusing to return to power sharing since losing its position as the nation’s largest party to Sinn Fein in October. 5 – because it opposes the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Northern Ireland Minister Chris Heaton-Harris will call an election on Friday following the failure of a last-ditch attempt to restore the multi-party governing body.
The six-month legislative timeframe to form an administration expired early Friday and with no chief executive in place, the UK government is legally responsible to call another election. .
There have been speculations that the poll will be held on December 15, although details have yet to be released by Mr. Heaton-Harris.
Meanwhile, Stormont ministers were no longer in office at midnight after operating in a shadowy fashion since the Council’s fall earlier this year.
Senior civil servants will now be in charge of running departments until a government is formed.
On Thursday, the MLA met during the Council’s recall meeting to elect a new speaker, but it did not proceed because the DUP refused to support the nominations and the session was suspended.
The DUP’s boycott of the Stormont institution is part of a campaign against the protocol, with the party saying it will not return to power-sharing until decisive action is taken to remove economic barriers to the protocol. with trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
On Sunday, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said “political uncertainty” in Westminster caused by the two prime ministers for months meant it was “impossible” for the EU and Britain to reach an agreement on the protocol on Wednesday. Six.
He said it was “reasonable” for power sharing to resume while negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol continued.
The Protocol effectively placed a sea border between the UK and Northern Ireland after Brexit and meant businesses struggled.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will call the election on Friday
The government has committed to ensuring changes to protocol to empower ministers to rescind deals without Brussels’ approval – either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through approved domestic legislation. offer.
DUP leader, Mr. Jeffrey Donaldson said that not enough progress has been made in addressing issues of concern surrounding the protocol.
But Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader, Michelle O’Neill, said the DUP “has left us all at the mercy of a heartless and dysfunctional Tory government”.
New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also called for the DUP to return to Stormont just hours before the deadline to restore development rights has passed.
His official spokesman said: “There is still time for the DUP and its executives to return to Stormont and we urge them to do so because the people of Northern Ireland deserve a chief executive. fully functional local elections and able to address issues facing communities there.”
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Why is there still no conference and what does Brexit have to do with it?
Sinn Fein first emerged as the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May this year.
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Sinn Fein: PM’s actions on NI Protocol ‘illegal’
Meanwhile, the UK government has insisted it will not consider a joint jurisdiction agreement with Dublin to manage Northern Ireland in the absence of a Stormont chief executive.
Both Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin and Ms O’Neill said there could be no direct regulation from Westminster in the event that power sharing was not restored.
But a NIO spokesman said: “The UK government is absolutely clear that the principle of consent governs Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.
“We will not maintain any arrangements that do not conform to that principle.”
