The Northern Ireland peace process was facing its gravest crisis yet as hardline Ulster Unionists tonight called for the replacement of the Assembly and Executive with new political institutions.
|
Irish and British government hopes of stabilising the Good Friday Agreement received a blow with the announcement from Lagan Valley MP, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, and South Antrim MP, Mr David Burnside, that they could no longer support the institutions.
Mr Donaldson and Mr Burnside, who have voiced their scepticism about the accord but have participated in recent talks, claimed the current efforts to sustain the Assembly and power-sharing with Sinn Fein were faltering because of the "insatiable demands" of nationalists and republicans.
In a statement they said: "Sinn Fein/IRA is not going to decommission.
"The pan-nationalist front's insatiable demands have already been acceded to by weakening of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and is now directed at the total destruction of the morale and operational capability of the RUC to police Northern Ireland.
"The only way to break out of an inherently unstable peace process is for Ulster Unionists in co-operation with unionists of all other parties to inform the British Government that we will no longer participate or negotiate with the two governments jointly but require negotiations with Her Majesty's Government to replace the present institution of the Assembly and the Executive with a new democratically accountable form of local administration."
They said they were no longer prepared to participate in talks which will "inevitably" lead to the destruction of the RUC. This they said would leave the North, its people, mainland Britain defenceless against dissident republicanism.
Unionists have been disillusioned by the failure of the IRA to dispose of its weapons and angered by Sinn Fein demands for more concessions on demilitarisation, policing and criminal justice in return for moves on disarmament.
The MPs’ statement is seen by some as a direct challenge to their party leader, Mr David Trimble. This has been denied by anti-Agreement UUP sources.
But Mr Donaldson and Mr Burnside's move was welcomed by the deputy leader of the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists, Peter Robinson.
The East Belfast MP said the DUP would be prepared to join with them in telling the British Government they were not prepared to continue the current negotiations.
Sinn Fein leader Mr Gerry Adams said: "It confirms for many people that Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside were not ever really for the Good Friday agreement."
PA