REPARTITION?

A radical overhaul of local government in the North announced yesterday by the British government has severely shaken the political status quo.

Politicians reacted with trepidation to the effective redrafting of the North’s political map. Most objections have centred on the number and location of the new councils.

Instead of the existing 26 councils, by 2009 the North will have seven enlarged councils with enhanced powers. Three of the councils will have a nationalist majority, while the other four will have a unionist majority. In Belfast, which is currently under unionist control, there is a possibility that nationalists could achieve a majority in the next elections in 2009.

While all parties agreed that the North’s existing structure of local government was excessive, the change has been strongly criticised by the unionist parties and the SDLP, who see their power diminishing under the plan.

Sinn Fein was the only one of the main parties to campaign for just seven councils, and welcomed the plan. The other parties envisaged higher numbers.

Almost all of the existing 26 councils currently have a unionist or nationalist majority, However, the new system would clearly delineate the unionist-controlled area as the fringe northeastern corner of the island.

DUP leader Ian Paisley said the proposals were designed to “split the province” and allow nationalists to pursue a “united Ireland agenda” in the councils in which they had a majority.

The Nationalist SDLP said the proposals would create “three green councils and three orange councils and greater segregation in the future”.

“What the secretary of state has effectively done today is to hand over more than half of Northern Ireland to Sinn Fein,” said Ulster Unionist Party spokesman Jim Wilson. “It amounts to a form of repartition.”

It was suggessted last night that part of the motivation behind the plans was to exert pressure on the DUP to enter negotiations with Sinn Fein to restore the Belfast Assembly so that it would have control over the councils.

British Direct Ruler Peter Hain appeared to indicate as much last night when he said that if the parties “do not like the decisions I have taken, they better get back into government quickly in order to take forward the process of change”.

Ian Paisley’s DUP still refuses to speak to Sinn Fein without the disbandment of the IRA, among other demands.

In the absence of progress on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, the seven councils could potentially serve as an effective alternative to the Assembly and power-sharing Executive.

Mr Hain said that the proposals would go ahead over the next four years regardless of the depth of opposition from parties other than Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Alex Maskey said the proposals made sense and that there were sufficient checks and balances in the plan to ensure that neither unionist nor nationalist parties could dominate any of the councils.

In addition to reducing the number of councils from 26 to seven, there will be a single education authority instead of five, and a single health authority rather than four.

Overall the number of bodies dealing with local government, health and education will be streamlined from 67 to 20 by 2009.

County Tyrone councillor Francie Molloy broke Sinn Fein ranks and opposed the local government plan, leading to his surprise suspension from the party. Mr Molloy, who called for 15 councils on a radio news programme, said he was unaware he was speaking against party policy. Sinn Fein said it will hold a disciplinary hearing to consider the matter.

Urgent Appeal