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Peter Robinson Must Call Sinn Fein's Bluff


I'm preparing to go on a two week holiday and as I was out buying sun cream and collecting some Euros I noticed an odd headline on the chest of one of those guys selling the Tele at busy junctions. According to the ever-reliable Belfast Telegraph and an anonymous source, Sinn Fein are contemplating refusing to nominate a Deputy First Minister because they are frustrated at the lack of progress over what they see as key issues (mainly the devolution of Policing and Justice I'd imagine).
Leaving aside the fact that Sinn Fein knew fine well that there were no guarantees on that target date (as has been pointed out over and over on Slugger O'Toole) what exactly have they got to gain by refusing to nominate? The DUP won't be able to elect their new leader Peter Robinson as First Minister, which, I gather, means no executive, which, again correct me if I'm wrong, means no Assembly. They expect the DUP to back down and hand over a few concessions to keep the Assembly alive?
Ballocks. If Sinn Fein want to bring about an end to the Assembly then let them, it will be no great loss as far as I'm concerned. It will also be a PR disaster for the provisional republican movement, with the world able to see clear as day whose fault it was that our beloved institutions collapsed.
No, they're far too canny for that. This is either a couple of Sinners shit-stirring in the shadows, tabloid journalism at its worst or a bit of both.
