Eastwood: 'Suspend Petition of Concern'
SDLP's bid to restore Stormont after Sinn Fein rejects DUP proposal
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has called for the Petition of Concern to be suspended in a bid to restore Stormont.
It comes as Sinn Fein rejects Arlene Foster's latest offer to break the political deadlock.
The DUP leader wants a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage.
The murder of journalist Lyra McKee sparked fresh calls for politicians to get back around the table.
At her funeral on Wednesday, Catholic peacemaking priest Father Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken her death to unite them.
Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said: "In terms of what Arlene Foster has proposed today, in terms of going into the Executive and having a parallel process, that will not work.
"The citizens here deserve to have their rights delivered on, marriage equality, language rights, legacy inquest rights.
"These things need to be delivered, and that in itself then paves the way for the institutions to be restored.''
The Stormont Assembly and ministerial Executive collapsed more than two years ago in a row between the former powersharing partners over a botched green energy scheme.
The DUP has consistently called for devolution to be revived or for the UK Government to step in to make more decisions.
Secretary of State Karen Bradley has said she will hold talks with Stormont's party leaders.
They attended a vigil together in Londonderry after Miss McKee was shot dead by dissident republicans.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the temporary suspension of the petition of concern can allow power-sharing government to resume.
He said pausing the mechanism would give enough space to restore devolved government:
"Today, the SDLP is proposing the suspension of the Petition of Concern mechanism for the remainder of this Assembly in order to legislate for rights and for all of our futures through the democratic mandate handed to us by the people of Northern Ireland.
"We are also proposing that while the temporary suspension takes place, a meaningful review of the POC is conducted with experts to find agreement on how to protect rights and stop any future abuse of the mechanism.
"The SDLP has the legislation ready to bring progress and equality - we can begin to enact it on the Assembly's very first day back."
Mr Eastwood told reporters he has spoken to Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney about the proposal and plans to discuss it with Secretary of State Karen Bradley.
"This proposal threatens no-one.
"It is about creating the space to get parties back into Stormont to take decisions affecting all of our lives.
"It is clear there is an Assembly majority to resolve the outstanding issues if we remove the veto. We need to bring our people back together, we need to bring our government back together.
"This is a time for leadership, for courage and for compromise."