Trimble accused of bid to drive SF out
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was accused today of pursuing a policy aimed at driving Sinn Fein out of the Stormont power-sharing government.
In a hard-hitting attack on the Northern Ireland First Minister ahead of his meeting with the Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sinn Fein Assembly member Gerry Kelly claimed the UUP leader wanted to strip Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun of their ministries.
Echoing IRA opposition to the idea of a paramilitary ceasefire monitor to restore confidence in the peace process, the North Belfast MLA claimed it was a demand which was outside the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
“He appears to want someone else to do John Reid’s job,” Mr Kelly observed, claiming the UK government appeared only to be moving towards the idea because of Mr Trimble’s internal party difficulties.
“All David Trimble’s utterances appear to be aimed at driving Sinn Fein out of its ministries.
“David Trimble’s policy appears to be wanting to put Sinn Fein out of government in the run-up to the Assembly election. He wants an exit plan based on a DUP ticket.”
Mr Kelly said today Sinn Fein was not opposed to the idea of independent monitors to observe events in sectarian flashpoint areas of Belfast.
However there was “no need” for a ceasefire monitor.
In an interview published today in the republican An Phoblacht newspaper, an IRA spokesman rejected the auditor proposal, which is being considered by the Government to stave off a crisis in the peace process.
First Minister David Trimble, who is facing a crucial meeting of his Ulster Unionist Party’s ruling council on September 21, has been promoting the idea of a ceasefire auditor in an attempt to restore Unionist confidence in the peace process.
The meeting of the UUP’s ruling council over the future of power sharing with Sinn Fein has been convened because of concerns about the IRA’s ceasefire.
Unionists have accused the IRA of orchestrating sectarian street disturbances over the summer.
This has been denied by republicans, who have accused loyalist paramilitaries of initiating the street disturbances as part of a pogrom against Catholics throughout Northern Ireland.
Unionists were also alarmed at the arrests of three IRA suspects in Colombia in August 2001 on suspicion of training Marxist Farc rebels.
They have queried the republican movement’s commitment to the peace process following allegations that the IRA was behind the theft of sensitive security documents from a Special Branch office at Castlereagh police station in March.
In today’s interview, the IRA again denied it sanctioned any operation in Colombia and accused elements within British military intelligence of blaming republicans for the Castlereagh break-in in an attempt to create a smokescreen for their own activities.
Mr Trimble pushed for UK government support for the ceasefire auditor proposal at his Downing Street meeting with the Prime Minister today.
The meeting is one of a series today in London and Belfast involving US and British government ministers, the Northern Ireland parties and security chiefs.
US President George W Bush’s special advisor on Northern Ireland, Richard Haass, flew to Belfast today for lunchtime talks with the new Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Hugh Orde.
He was also due to meet Sinn Fein, the Rev Ian’s Paisley’s Democratic Unionists, Mark Durkan’s nationalist SDLP, the cross community Women’s Coalition and the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party.
A breakfast meeting with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has been arranged for tomorrow.
A meeting has also been arranged in Belfast today between General John de Chastelain’s arms decommissioning body and SDLP leader Mark Durkan.
