THE Progressive Unionist Party spokesman, Mr David Ervine, says the loyalist ceasefire is still intact despite his conviction that the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was responsible for Sunday night's bomb hoax at Dublin Airport.
His information was that there was "no question" but that the UVF was responsible for the bomb alert. But it was "unlikely", said Mr Ervine, that the hoax was sanctioned by the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC).
The UVF in mid Ulster, using a recognised code word, said it was behind the alert. It said the Republic would pay "a very high price" for its interference in Northern Ireland affairs.
Mr Ervine said he believed the decision to stage the hoax was taken unilaterally by the UVF. "But as far as I am concerned there is still a loyalist ceasefire. We are assured by elements within the CLMC that they are in full control," he added.
"That tells me that the ceasefire will remain," he said yesterday in a number of media interviews. He predicted the CLMC will move to stabilise the ceasefire in the coming days.
He was confident the CLMC would not now disintegrate I have been insured, and I accept the assurance, that the CLMC is not fragmenting, won't fragment, and is in full control.
"I am absolutely certain that the UVF, UDA and the Red Hand Commando will come to terms with all this. I sincerely hope that they do. I make a sincere appeal to all those who are upset with nationalism to pull back."
Mr Ervine staid the hoax was mainly provoked by the "extremely green attitudes" from politicians in the South. They were conveying the impression that Sinn Fein should be allowed into all party talks without a resumption of an IRA ceasefire.
In the event of an IRA cease fire he believed the current tension would cease.
The Ulster Democratic Party leader, Mr Gary McMichael, said he was disappointed at the UVF incident. It would be unfortunate if the CLMC were to collapse when loyalists had held so firm since calling their ceasefire in October 1994.
He believed the authority of the CLMC was "absolute", but the question was would the CLMC ceasefire remain in existence. That would depend on the UVF exercising restraint he said.
Mr McMichael said the UVF action had created a "question mark" over the current state of the loyalist ceasefire, although he agreed with Mr Ervine that the ceasefire was intact.
There could be no place lord Sinn Fein n talks while the IRA maintained its campaign of violence. But Sinn Fein must be involved in talks in the event of the ceasefire being reinstated, he added.
The Rev Roy Magee, the Presbyterian minister who helped broker the ceasefire, said he was disappointed and discouraged by the UVF action. It was very important now that the IRA should resume its ceasefire, he added.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said when the loyalist ceasefire was called, it was conditional on no constitutional and political change.
"The prospect of real and meaningful change is rigidly opposed by the unionist and loyalist leaderships. This is the agenda behind these events."
