The DUP then resigned its ministerial posts after the party failed to secure enough support for an adjournment of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Advertisement
Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers had earlier warned she could still suspend the power-sharing government but it is thought that the government in London does not favour this.
Prime Minister David Cameron had appealed to all sides to stick to the “noble principles” of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing agreement and resolve the crisis through talks backed by the British and Irish governments.
The crisis erupted when police said they suspected the murder of ex-IRA member Kevin McGuigan in Belfast on August 12 might have involved some members of the IRA, a group which is supposed to have disbanded. Sinn Fein leans to the left, and has become a strong voice against austerity north and south of Ireland’s border; the DUP, meanwhile, is seen as a conservative player on the political landscape.
Sinn Féin says the IRA no longer exists and blames “criminal elements” for the murders of McGuigan and the former Belfast IRA commander Gerard “Jock” Davison in May.
Mr Robinson’s resignation does not bring about the immediate collapse of the administration and he has asked a DUP colleague, Arlene Foster, to step in as acting first minister.
Sinn Fein, a political party linked to the disbanded IRA, has said it would be shocked if Storey were to be charged over the murder.
The DUP’s Simon Hamilton spoke to UTV Live Tonight on Thursday and said Arlene’s current position is to ensure the best interests of Northern Ireland are preserved.
The collapse of the NIE comes after PSNI comments indicated that the Provisional IRA had a hand in the murder of Kevin McGuigan.
Power-sharing between predominantly Catholic Irish nationalists and Protestant pro-British unionists has been paralyzed by the dispute, with a British minister describing the situation as “dysfunctional”.
“The fact that leading members of Sinn Fein have been associated with a murder indicates to us that we can not do business as usual”.
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams strongly criticised the move this morning, reiterating his party’s belief that the NIE should not be suspended.
“It is a deeply disappointing day for everyone in Northern Ireland and a worrying one as regards the future of the political institutions here, thanks to the actions of the UUP and SDLP”, he said.
Mr Robinson repeated a demand for the government to suspend the institutions outright to enable space for the talks to happen, but Ms Villiers rejected the call.
Advertisement
Two other arrested men – well-known republican figures Eddie Copeland and Brian Gillen – were also released unconditionally on Thursday night.
