N. Ireland could take a leaf from Scotland

Stark: The message is stark. Northern Ireland's feuding communities should clinch a power sharing agreement by March 26 or face the prospect of being governed indefinitely by London with Ireland's participation.

While foresight and courage are what are mainly expected of the leaders of the Protestant Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Catholic Sinn Fein, if shared, "home rule" is to be a reality in Northern Ireland, the results of the recent Northern Ireland assembly poll clearly demonstrate that the province's feuding communities have no choice but to share power if Northern Ireland's decades - long sectarian strife is to be finally laid to rest.

At the election to the 108 seat assembly, the DUP headed by Ian Paisley won 36 seats as against 28 by Sinn Fein, led by Gerry Adams.

Besides proving that the principal political parties in the province are, in terms of power, almost evenly balanced, the polls result grimly underscores the highly polarised or divided nature of the Northern Irish polity.

If a measure of political autonomy is to be a reality in Northern Ireland, the DUP and Sinn Fein would need to learn the exacting skill of sharing power peacefully, because the Northern Irish public has no clear preference between them, or allow the political stalemate in the province to drag on. The danger in allowing the latter situation to prevail is that sectarian violence may re-emerge in a big way in the province.

If the parties do agree to share power the likelihood is great that Paisley would be appointed First Minister with Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness as his deputy. However, distrust remains a principal hurdle between the parties with Paisley being quoted as saying that he would "not go into government with a party until its fundamental belief and practice is democracy".

Apparently, the effects of decades of violence are dying hard on the principal parties to the conflict. However, what needs to be grasped by the DUP leadership is that identity - based conflicts - such as the one in Northern Ireland - are born of the lack of political power. It is only the granting of a degree of power on the disaffected party or region which could help manage such conflicts.

By an interesting contrast, Scotland which enjoys a degree of regional autonomy within the British Union would be fielding a separate cricket team at the upcoming Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.

"What's in a cricket team", the cynics may ask but the fact that Scotland enjoys the decision - making capabilities to field a team independent of the English team, speaks volumes for the spirit of tolerance and democratic accommodation prevailing in the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

What needs to be noted is that ethnically and culturally homogeneous Scotland is not clamouring for separation from the UK. Nor is it parading its cultural distinctness. This is mainly because it is satisfied with the substantial regional autonomy which has been conferred on it.

Scotland is prepared on account of these factors to co-exist peacefully within the UK with other publics and cultures and the interaction between Scotland and the British centre has been so cordial that it could field a team of its own to the Cricket World Cup without being misunderstood.

Northern Ireland's feuding parties could take a leaf from Scotland. If Sinn Fein is permitted a degree of power within the province, the possibility is great that Catholic disaffection would end along with the violence it has bred.

The Catholic community would opt for peaceful co-existence with the Protestants. Together, they could enter into a phase of most cordial relations with the British centre, which would be underwriting the political accord in Northern Ireland.