Trimble will seek office if IRA disarms
David Trimble will seek the office of Northern Ireland First Minister again if the IRA starts to disarm, the Ulster Unionist leader has indicated.
The Upper Bann MP, who stepped down as First Minister of the power-sharing executive in July in protest at the lack of movement on IRA decommissioning, signalled in Washington last night in the event of disarmament: ‘‘It would be my intention to take office’’.
Mr Trimble, who was set to return from the United States today where he has been briefing politicians and journalists on the peace process, declared: ‘‘We have for years been calling for decommissioning.
‘‘We want to see decommissioning.
‘‘It’s long past time for it. I hope people do it, that they do it properly, that they do it in such a way that John de Chastelain is able to report to the people of Northern Ireland on it, to report he has verified it.
‘‘Of course, in that situation it will transform the situation and there will be an appropriate response.
‘‘In the circumstances, in that situation, it would be my intention to take office’’.
Mr Trimble is expected to announce the resignations of Ulster Unionist ministers later this week if there is no decommissioning in an attempt to pile further pressure on the IRA.
UUP sources said it was looking more likely an announcement would be made tomorrow or Friday rather than today.
A meeting of the party executive is due to take place on Friday.
Mr Trimble also signalled on Ulster Television’s Insight programme last night that in the event of decommissioning, the ban on Sinn Fein ministers attending North-South Ministerial Council meetings with the Irish Government would be lifted.
‘‘That was only there because of the failure to decommission, so obviously if they decommission then we can go back to doing things normally and no one would be more happier than me to going back to doing things normally and being able to co-operate with people.
‘‘But co-operation with people depends on their co-operation with us and co-operating with the process. It is not a one-sided process. Everybody has got their part to play and their obligations to fulfil. We have fulfilled ours and we are quite happy to do that. We would be delighted if other people carried out theirs as well.’’
The Ulster Unionist leader also stressed that while a ‘‘credible and verifiable start’’ to IRA decommissioning would be welcome, it would have to be completed by next February when the mandate of the de Chastelain Commission expired.
Mr Trimble’s comments were welcomed by Sinn Fein national chairman Mitchel McLaughlin.
The Foyle Assembly member said: ‘‘I have to say I was very encouraged by what David Trimble said.
‘‘It is a pity he did not say it last August when there was an IRA offer on a plate or even in May of last year. But I don’t want to carp.
‘‘I think if David Trimble is in a mood to resolve this through politics and to work with the rest of us on it, then we will resolve this because these now are political problems.’’
The Ulster Unionist leader was, however, accused by Democratic Unionist Regional Development Minister Gregory Campbell of ‘‘playing for time’’.
The East Derry MP said: ‘‘It now seems he is trying to drag the red herring across our paths again in the hope that some token gesture (on decommissioning) will be carried out in the coming days and which might again allow him to prolong this agony.
