29.10.03
Thanks to an email from Briain Seán Tómas Mac Aodh :
Trimble faces election without IRA deal
Martin Nicholls and agencies
Tuesday October 28, 2003
The Northern Ireland assembly elections will go ahead without
further agreements on IRA arms decommissioning, Downing Street
confirmed today.
A No 10 statement released this morning stated that it "had not
proved possible" to resolve differences over decommissioning in
Northern Ireland but said assembly elections would take place on
November 26 as planned.
It added that the government would work "urgently" after the
elections "to create the conditions which will enable a working
executive to be formed".
This morning's announcement follows the Ulster Unionist leader,
David Trimble's decision yesterday evening to abandon plans for a
meeting tomorrow night of his 900-member ruling council to discuss
peace plans.
After a meeting with party officers Mr Trimble conceded that a deal
with republicans was impossible before the elections.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Trimble said that although some
progress had been made, time had run out to make a deal on power-
sharing before the election on November 26.
He told reporters: "There isn't unfortunately time to be able to
sort all these matters out, and who knows, had there been another
few days or a week available that might have been possible.
"But with the election having been called, and with the inexorable
movement of the electoral timetable ... obviously we may be in a
position where we can't do anything further."
Downing Street confirmed today that it "had not proved possible" to
resolve differences over decommissioning in Northern Ireland but
said assembly elections would take place on November 26 as planned.
The No 10 statement said the government would work "urgently" after
the elections "to create the conditions which will enable a working
executive to be formed".
Earlier yesterday, Sinn Féin had accused the Ulster Unionists of
walking away from the current phase of the political process.
However, Mr Trimble rejected the suggestion.
"It is not right to say that we were not prepared to proceed even at
a very late hour," he said.
"We did put proposals which, if I was to receive in the course of
the next couple of hours a clear indication that those proposals
were now operational, it is a different matter entirely, we would
roll with them."
The Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, said he was "bitterly
disappointed" that talks had not concluded before the election.
He said: "It's quite incredible that after all the work that went
into trying to sort this out, that we now end up with a situation
where I think public confidence has been damaged."
Meanwhile, the build-up to the elections continues, with news today
that a member of the Guildford Four is to feature in a party
election broadcast.
Gerry Conlon, one of four people wrongfully imprisoned for an IRA
bombing in Guildford in 1974 which killed five people, is to feature
in a broadcast by Mark Durkan's nationalist Social Democratic and
Labour party (SDLP).
The election film will be screened in Northern Ireland tonight and a
radio version will also be broadcast.
Mr Conlon's father, Guiseppe, and relations in the Maguire family,
were also wrongfully jailed for involvement in the Guildford and
Woolwich bombings.
Guiseppe Conlon died in prison in 1980 following respiratory
problems.
In October 1989, the court of appeal overturned the convictions of
the Guildford Four following a campaign by the families, Catholic
Church leaders in England and Ireland, politicians, journalists and
human rights activists.
The Guildford Four's story was turned into the controversial movie,
In the Name of the Father, by Irish director Jim Sheridan which
earned several Oscar nominations.
The SDLP's election broadcast is a variation of a film aired in May
during the initial assembly election campaign which was aborted by
the prime minister amid concerns over the IRA's intentions towards
the peace process.
Last night, Mr Trimble and his wife, Daphne, formed the basis of the
UUP's election broadcast built around the new slogan "Simply
British".
The SDLP is facing a tough battle with Sinn Féin to emerge as the
biggest nationalist party in the assembly.
Mr Durkan's party had more six seats at Stormont during the last
assembly, but in the 2001 Westminster elections, Sinn Féin had four
MPs to the SDLP's three and edged in front in the battle for the
popular vote.
Mr Trimble had the largest number of seats in 1998 but this time is
facing a fierce battle for supremacy from the Rev Ian Paisley's
Democratic Unionist party (DUP).
The DUP were due to launch an attack today on their pro-Good Friday
agreement rivals about rate increases and water charges if the
government sticks with its current formula for devolution.
Trimble faces election without IRA deal
Martin Nicholls and agencies
Tuesday October 28, 2003
The Northern Ireland assembly elections will go ahead without
further agreements on IRA arms decommissioning, Downing Street
confirmed today.
A No 10 statement released this morning stated that it "had not
proved possible" to resolve differences over decommissioning in
Northern Ireland but said assembly elections would take place on
November 26 as planned.
It added that the government would work "urgently" after the
elections "to create the conditions which will enable a working
executive to be formed".
This morning's announcement follows the Ulster Unionist leader,
David Trimble's decision yesterday evening to abandon plans for a
meeting tomorrow night of his 900-member ruling council to discuss
peace plans.
After a meeting with party officers Mr Trimble conceded that a deal
with republicans was impossible before the elections.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Trimble said that although some
progress had been made, time had run out to make a deal on power-
sharing before the election on November 26.
He told reporters: "There isn't unfortunately time to be able to
sort all these matters out, and who knows, had there been another
few days or a week available that might have been possible.
"But with the election having been called, and with the inexorable
movement of the electoral timetable ... obviously we may be in a
position where we can't do anything further."
Downing Street confirmed today that it "had not proved possible" to
resolve differences over decommissioning in Northern Ireland but
said assembly elections would take place on November 26 as planned.
The No 10 statement said the government would work "urgently" after
the elections "to create the conditions which will enable a working
executive to be formed".
Earlier yesterday, Sinn Féin had accused the Ulster Unionists of
walking away from the current phase of the political process.
However, Mr Trimble rejected the suggestion.
"It is not right to say that we were not prepared to proceed even at
a very late hour," he said.
"We did put proposals which, if I was to receive in the course of
the next couple of hours a clear indication that those proposals
were now operational, it is a different matter entirely, we would
roll with them."
The Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, said he was "bitterly
disappointed" that talks had not concluded before the election.
He said: "It's quite incredible that after all the work that went
into trying to sort this out, that we now end up with a situation
where I think public confidence has been damaged."
Meanwhile, the build-up to the elections continues, with news today
that a member of the Guildford Four is to feature in a party
election broadcast.
Gerry Conlon, one of four people wrongfully imprisoned for an IRA
bombing in Guildford in 1974 which killed five people, is to feature
in a broadcast by Mark Durkan's nationalist Social Democratic and
Labour party (SDLP).
The election film will be screened in Northern Ireland tonight and a
radio version will also be broadcast.
Mr Conlon's father, Guiseppe, and relations in the Maguire family,
were also wrongfully jailed for involvement in the Guildford and
Woolwich bombings.
Guiseppe Conlon died in prison in 1980 following respiratory
problems.
In October 1989, the court of appeal overturned the convictions of
the Guildford Four following a campaign by the families, Catholic
Church leaders in England and Ireland, politicians, journalists and
human rights activists.
The Guildford Four's story was turned into the controversial movie,
In the Name of the Father, by Irish director Jim Sheridan which
earned several Oscar nominations.
The SDLP's election broadcast is a variation of a film aired in May
during the initial assembly election campaign which was aborted by
the prime minister amid concerns over the IRA's intentions towards
the peace process.
Last night, Mr Trimble and his wife, Daphne, formed the basis of the
UUP's election broadcast built around the new slogan "Simply
British".
The SDLP is facing a tough battle with Sinn Féin to emerge as the
biggest nationalist party in the assembly.
Mr Durkan's party had more six seats at Stormont during the last
assembly, but in the 2001 Westminster elections, Sinn Féin had four
MPs to the SDLP's three and edged in front in the battle for the
popular vote.
Mr Trimble had the largest number of seats in 1998 but this time is
facing a fierce battle for supremacy from the Rev Ian Paisley's
Democratic Unionist party (DUP).
The DUP were due to launch an attack today on their pro-Good Friday
agreement rivals about rate increases and water charges if the
government sticks with its current formula for devolution.
