Politicians criticise Paisley 'rant'
DUP leader Ian Paisley was today accused of harming the prospects of political progress at Stormont after he said Sinn Féin would be in government over loyalists’ dead bodies.
In a hard-hitting speech to members of the Independent Orange Order in Portrush, Co Antrim, the DUP leader said: “Compromise, accommodation and the least surrender are the roads to final and irreversible disaster.
“There can be no compromise.”
The North Antrim MP, who leads the North's largest political party, insisted there could be no accommodation or surrender.
On the issue of power-sharing with what he called "IRA/Sinn Féin", he said: “It will be over our dead bodies.
“Ulster has surely learned that weak, pushover unionism is a halfway house to republicanism.”
His comments were criticised by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and by senior SDLP negotiator Sean Farren.
Mr Adams said the DUP leader’s remarks were offensive.
“Can anybody really be surprised?” the West Belfast MP asked.
“They are a challenge, not to us, but to the two Governments and a challenge particularly to the British government.
“What Ian Paisley has in common with us is we have mandates. We respect his and he should respect ours.”
With Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisting that the North's Assembly members must agree to power-sharing by a deadline of November 24, Mr Farren warned the speech may have damaged any progress being made at Stormont.
“This rant by Paisley – and there is no other name for it – is the politics of the roadblock once again,” the North Antrim SDLP Assembly member said.
“Phrases like ‘over our dead bodies’ simply set everyone back, including the elements in the DUP that are plainly keen to see devolved government within some sort of reasonable timetable.
“It is ultimately for the electorate and not Ian Paisley to decide who is fit for government.
“Let us hope that when the Twelfth is behind us once more, when the annual rush of blood to the head has worn off, wiser counsels will prevail once more in the DUP.”
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