BELFAST, Jan 11 (NNN-Xinhua) — The two major parties in Northern Ireland have agreed on a draft deal to restore a power-sharing government, breaking a three-year political deadlock in the region, local media reported Friday.
The breakthrough came when Sinn Fein party agreed on a new deal put forward by the British and Irish governments to break the deadlock.
The two biggest parties in the devolved government, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, agreed to accept the proposals to re-open the Stormont parliament.
Earlier Friday, the DUP signalled its support for the proposals announced Thursday night by Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney.
Later in the day, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald announced the party was up for a return to power-sharing.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the move which will see the Northern Ireland Assembly holding its first meeting for three years in Belfast.
The power-sharing assembly is expected to select its top executive ministers when it gathers Saturday.
Coveney described the breakthrough as history being made.
He told reporters: “We now have confirmation from the two largest parties in Northern Ireland that they both are committed to re-entering an executive and establishing a functioning Stormont again. Of course, that is not the end of the story as we want this to be an all-party executive.”
Sinn Fein leader McDonald said the breakthrough was a red letter day for the Irish Language and Irish identity in Northern Ireland.
“This is not about winners or losers, this is about a society that makes room for everyone,” she said.
DUP leader Arlene Foster said the draft deal was not perfect, but was a basis upon which the assembly and executive could be re-established.
The collapse of the assembly and its executive in Northern Ireland came after a major fall-out in 2017 between the DUP and Sinn Fein over a botched heating scheme. — NNN-XINHUA