SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has called on London and Dublin to actively intervene if a deal to get the devolved institutions back up and running isn’t reached this week.
Secretary of State James Brokenshire is to hold further talks today with the parties to see if a deal can be brokered soon.
In the event of failure to make progress, Mr Eastwood said the two governments should set out their own proposals to break the deadlock.
The SDLP leader said it was a welcome change that the DUP and Sinn Fein “have called a ceasefire on megaphone diplomacy and have actually got down to the business of serious engagement”.
But he expressed doubts about how genuine they were.
“As formal talks recommence, the question remains whether this is the beginning of positive choreography to finally do the deal or if it is merely positive choreography to avoid blame if the process collapses once more,” he said.
“As crises build in our health and education services, the SDLP does not believe it is credible or sustainable to continue to leave the success or failure of this process solely in the hands of the DUP and Sinn Féin.
“We acknowledge that these parties have the big mandates from the electorate but they do not have a mandate to hold the North to ransom in a position of permanent stalemate,” he stated.
“I am therefore proposing that if it becomes clear that the DUP and Sinn Fein are incapable of getting a deal over the line, both governments should publicly place their own joint proposal on the table.
“This joint proposal would represent their joint view on what they believe to be a fair deal and compromise for all the people of Northern Ireland.
Mr Eastwood said the British and Irish Governments should then publicly challenge all the parties to sign up to, or reject, their proposal.
“This intervention by the co-guarantors of our political agreements would also bring focus to the real priority of finally getting a government formed which can begin to tackle hospital waiting lists, school budget cuts and the growing numbers of families without a home,” he added.
