peaccenicked
22nd July 2002, 01:15
Irish American News Information website
UUP WILL COLLAPSE ASSEMBLY - McGUINNESS
07/21/02 17:42 EST
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has said he believes the Northern Ireland First minister will collapse the North's power-sharing executive before next year's assembly elections.
The Mid-Ulster MP was speaking in advance of a statement by the British Prime Minister on the status of paramilitary ceasefires, expected on Wednesday.
"It is increasingly unlikely that we are going to get to the elections of next May," he said today.
"In all probability the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party have already decided that it is much better to go quicker and on a very anti-Sinn Fein agenda. We are here for the long haul and the sooner David Trimble and Ian Paisley recognise that the better."
The prime minister is expected to make a statement on the peace process before the House of Commons rise for the summer recess on Wednesday.
Mr Blair pledged to rebuild unionist confidence in the Northern Ireland process after talks with the pro-Agreement parties and Irish premier Bertie Ahern at Hillsborough Castle, County Down, earlier this month.
However, Mr Ahern has warned Mr Blair against creating "unnecessary crisis" by satisfying unionist demands to remove Sinn Fein from the power-sharing Executive.
Sinn Fein said the crisis was not in the Agreement but within unionism itself. Many observers believe that Mr. Trimble is concerned that the Democratic Unionist Party will challenge the UUP's position as the largest unionist grouping in the Assembly.
There is also a fear within Unionism that Sinn Fein will command the largest vote of all parties in the North, thus winning the position of First Minister in the power-sharing Assembly. Judging by recent electoral performances, it is most likely that Sinn Fein would win the position of Deputy First Minister in the forthcoming ASsembly elections in May 2003.
UUP WILL COLLAPSE ASSEMBLY - McGUINNESS
07/21/02 17:42 EST
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has said he believes the Northern Ireland First minister will collapse the North's power-sharing executive before next year's assembly elections.
The Mid-Ulster MP was speaking in advance of a statement by the British Prime Minister on the status of paramilitary ceasefires, expected on Wednesday.
"It is increasingly unlikely that we are going to get to the elections of next May," he said today.
"In all probability the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party have already decided that it is much better to go quicker and on a very anti-Sinn Fein agenda. We are here for the long haul and the sooner David Trimble and Ian Paisley recognise that the better."
The prime minister is expected to make a statement on the peace process before the House of Commons rise for the summer recess on Wednesday.
Mr Blair pledged to rebuild unionist confidence in the Northern Ireland process after talks with the pro-Agreement parties and Irish premier Bertie Ahern at Hillsborough Castle, County Down, earlier this month.
However, Mr Ahern has warned Mr Blair against creating "unnecessary crisis" by satisfying unionist demands to remove Sinn Fein from the power-sharing Executive.
Sinn Fein said the crisis was not in the Agreement but within unionism itself. Many observers believe that Mr. Trimble is concerned that the Democratic Unionist Party will challenge the UUP's position as the largest unionist grouping in the Assembly.
There is also a fear within Unionism that Sinn Fein will command the largest vote of all parties in the North, thus winning the position of First Minister in the power-sharing Assembly. Judging by recent electoral performances, it is most likely that Sinn Fein would win the position of Deputy First Minister in the forthcoming ASsembly elections in May 2003.