New deadline set for resurrecting power sharing in Northern Ireland

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The British government announced a new Feb. 8 deadline in a bid to revive the dormant power-sharing executive in Stormont, setting the stage for renewed efforts to break the political impasse in Northern Ireland, according to media reports.

The government is set to introduce a concise one-line bill on Wednesday at Westminster as it faces a lapsed Jan. 18 deadline, reinforcing its commitment to establishing a functioning ministerial executive in Belfast.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will present the bill, signaling the government's optimism that a resolution can be achieved within the next two weeks.

The prolonged deadlock in power sharing has persisted for almost two years, primarily fueled by a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) boycott protesting post-Brexit trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The party contends that the Windsor Framework deal, negotiated by Chancellor Rishi Sunak with the European Union, has effectively created a border down the Irish Sea, physically separating Northern Ireland from the rest of Great Britain.

Amid growing speculation, senior figures within the DUP held discussions Friday and raised expectations of a decision regarding the government's proposal.

But no conclusive resolution emerged from the meeting, with DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson dismissing claims that it was a make-or-break encounter.