Birth
of Northern Executive is redolent of history The great adventure has begun,
writes Deaglan de Breadun, Northern Editor, who assesses the power-sharing
Executive which was appointed at Stormont yesterday
From IRISH TIMES November 30th, 1999
The fact that he is now a minister in a shadow power-sharing government
might be seen as a preliminary form of closure on the hatred and divisions
of the past. The really dramatic event, although it was widely forecast,
came at 5.47 p.m. when Mr Martin McGuinness accepted the nomination by Mr
Gerry Adams to ministerial office. An event that was unthinkable even a
few years ago had come to pass. The classic republican had become a key
player in a daring and difficult political experiment.
No wonder Mr Cedric Wilson of the Northern Ireland Unionist Party walked
out. It is not too much to say that Northern Ireland, the republican movement
and British-Irish relations will never be quite the same again. Mr McGuinness
had crossed the Rubicon and passed the point of no return. The rumours were
that he would take the Agriculture portfolio, with Ms Bairbre de Brun going
for Education.
There will doubtless be shock waves in some sectors of the education system
at the McGuinness appointment to the Department of Education and a feeling
that the Goths have taken over the Colosseum. But the Derry republican may
surprise us. Peace process insiders praised his behaviour in the Mitchell
review very highly. He developed a particular rapport with Sir Reg Empey.
Mr McGuinness, the militant firebrand, has reinvented himself as a skilful
politician. On the other side of the fence, Peter Robinson made a positive
initial impression by his undertaking, without prejudice to his anti-agreement
convictions, to be "scrupulously fair" to all, regardless of creed or political
belief. He would be "the servant of all and the master of none" in his new
role as Minister for Regional Development, a portfolio which should have
a significant cross-Border dimension.
The Sinn Fein and DUP ministers, for their very different reasons, are likely
to hit the ground running. They will have a lot to prove to suspicious constituencies
on the other side of the fence. The SDLP ministers are all well-known and
highly experienced politicians. Ms Bríd Rodgers was forecast to go to the
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure but ended up in Agriculture.
Mark Durkan in Finance and Sean Farren in Higher and Further Education were
not major surprises. On the UUP side, Sir Reg Empey is expected to perform
well as Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. Mr Michael McGimpsey,
who takes over the Culture, Arts and Leisure portfolio, had begun to emerge
as a key Trimble lieutenant over the past year and was frequently sent out
to bat at difficult conjunctures during the Mitchell review.
Mr Foster at Environment is largely unknown outside Fermanagh. The great
adventure has begun. Political insiders hope the razzmatazz surrounding
the appointments will assist the development of a new political climate.
Dr Paisley's possible legal challenge and the UUC meeting in February hang
like Swords of Damocles over the proceedings but, as senior figures in the
peace process like to say, "Let's take it one day at a time." |
