London calls N. Ireland parties for 'intensive talks'

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – The U.K.’s Northern Ireland Office has invited Northern Ireland’s parties for “intensive talks” on Monday amid ongoing political stalemate.

“In a shared approach, the U.K. government and the Irish government have agreed this phase of talks will be best supported by an intensive process to drive progress,” a government statement said on Friday.

The invitation came on a day the deadline for setting Northern Ireland’s annual budget will expire, leaving the U.K. region without spending plan because a new power-sharing administration was not formed following a snap election held in early March.

If the sides fail to reach a deal again, the British government may introduce a direct rule in Northern Ireland.

The previous administration had collapsed with the resignation of its Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness over a botched energy saving deal called RHI in January.

McGuinness, a key Sinn Fein figure, died last week and was buried at a high-profile funeral.

Other issues about recognition of the Irish language and the legacy of violence from the 1968-1998 Troubles further soured relations between the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein.

The DUP lost support in the March 2 election but managed to remain the biggest party, with a single-seat margin in the Assembly over Sinn Fein.

A scheduled Assembly sitting Monday to appoint the region’s first and deputy first ministers was suspended before an Executive formation deadline was breached after Sinn Fein’s rejection of more talks.