What Deal Has The DUP Done?

Commenting after a radio interview involving Jeffrey Donaldson, UUP MLA Alan McFarland (a member of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee) has criticised the DUP and questioned exactly what deal the DUP has struck.

Commenting Mr McFarland said: "Speaking on Radio Ulster on Wednesday morning, Jeffrey Donaldson said that there were no 'private arrangements or side deals' between the DUP and Sinn Fein."

"However the documents presented to the media and to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee (and signed 'Peter' and 'Martin,' as it happens) were, in every possible sense of the term, a private arrangement between the DUP and Sinn Fein."

"The Assembly wasn't consulted - The Executive Committee wasn't consulted - The leaders of the UUP, SDLP, Alliance and PUP were not consulted - The Assembly and Executive Review Committee wasn't consulted - Indeed, the Executive was actually placed in suspended animation for 151 days while the DUP and Sinn Fein negotiated this private arrangement."

"They even managed to agree upon, speak to and then put in the public domain the name of the person they had decided would be Attorney General. Mr. Donaldson said that John Larkin "hadn't been appointed," yet Mr. Larkin is quoted in the Irish News thus, "I am honoured. It is a very considerable compliment. I hope to improve things, make things more open and more responsive to public needs."

"And where is the guarantee that Sinn Fein's veto over Executive meetings has been removed? In his statement yesterday Martin McGuinness merely says "we believe the outworking of the agreements we have reached will allow the uninterrupted functioning of the Executive."

"In other words, if he isn't happy with the outworkings he will interrupt the Executive again."

"I therefore challenge the DUP to show the rest of us exactly what deal was struck or are we to believe that the last 151 days have been for nothing? For many years we have heard the DUP scoff about backdoor deals and secret meetings - now it is their turn to own up to what they have agreed with Sinn Fein."

"And what of their own voters, surely they will want to question what exactly is going on as they too appear to have been kept in the dark."

"This whole thing is being described as 'The Process' because it is a convoluted mishmash. It gives Sinn Fein what they want on Policing and Justice---which they will get in time for the next Assembly Election. It doesn't address, let alone resolve, the other outstanding issues. It hasn't improved accountability or lessened the threat of a Sinn Fein veto.

"The DUP have constantly claimed that they 'got it right' at St Andrews, got a 'fairer deal' at St Andrews - where was the evidence of that as the Executive failed to meet for 151 days? Sinn Fein's veto is still there - The non-accountability is still there -The DUP-Sinn Fein carve-up is still there -The transfer chaos is still there - The arrogance is still there. It is time for the DUP to start answering questions."