No government

last updated 8 January 2015

Belfast, United Kingdom

An attempt to revive home rule in Northern Ireland failed this week because of lingering sectarian ill will. The main Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists, refused to participate in a joint government with Sinn Fein, the main Catholic Party and the Irish Republican Army’s political wing. Unionist leader Ian Paisley, 80, said his party won’t cooperate with Sinn Fein until the IRA disbands completely. If the two sides can’t come to an agreement by November, the local assembly will be dissolved and the province ruled from London. The last power-sharing government collapsed in 2002 over the issue of IRA weapons. Last year, international inspectors confirmed that the IRA stockpile had been destroyed.