According to Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, the political unrest in Northern Ireland calls for a change of the region’s democratic structure.

The conflict between Protestant unionists who wanted Northern Ireland to remain a part of the United Kingdom and Catholic nationalists who sought to unite Ireland was finally resolved by the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement) in 1998.

More than 3,500 individuals perished In the conflict. The Northern Ireland Assembly, the country’s parliament, was established by the Northern Ireland Act of 1998, which came after the Good Friday Agreement.

Martin claims that nationalist and unionist parties frequently participated in coercive coalition systems where neither party could rule alone. He urged modification of the Agreement’s provisions for the separation of powers.

Over the next four to five years, he said, changes to the system should be taken into consideration. Dublin believed that the Northern Ireland parties, as well as the Irish and British governments, should decide on a reform.

In light of the inability to establish a local administration, British Minister for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris announced last week that he would schedule new elections for the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly.

source: ft.com