UUP ministers to resign at midnight
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has said his three ministers in the Northern Assembly will resign their positions as of midnight tonight following the failure of a motion last week to expel Sinn Fein from government.
Mr Trimble said letters of resignation for Reg Empey, Michael McGimpsey and Sam Foster were lodged with the Speaker of the Assembly today.
Mr Trimble added that if the IRA begins "the process of actual decommissioning in a meaningful and verifiable manner, out ministers can be reappointed immediately".
Mr Trimble’s latest political move is designed to force the British Government to suspend the Northern Assembly and call a review of the Good Friday Agreement.
Northern Secretary John Reid’s only other viable choice is to call fresh elections, which the UUP would also be likely to boycott.
He could also fill the vacant ministerial seats with people who are willing to participate in the Assembly, but this would leave nationalists with a huge majority and cause headaches for the workings of the institutions.
There has been speculation in recent days that the IRA is preparing for a move on arms, but Sinn Fein has rejected these reports.
The republican movement has long said that decommissioning will not come about as a result of unionist or British ultimatums.
Yesterday, sources in Sinn Fein said decommissioning is now dependent on the willingness of the British Government and the Ulster Unionists to implement the other outstanding issues in the Good Friday Agreement in full.
