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Peter Robinson
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The Belfast Agreement will have to be renegotiated regardless of what is in the Irish and British governments' package, DUP deputy leader Mr Peter Robinson said today.
He ridiculed comments from Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble that there would have to be a "substantial review of the Agreement" if the IRA failed to disarm.
Mr Robinson, who met the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to press for the release of the governments’ package of proposals to his party later this week, said: "I seem to recall David Trimble told us you couldn't have a renegotiation of the Agreement.
"That was the position he adopted during the election and expressly in television programmes he made it clear that my suggestion that we could have a renegotiation of the Agreement was something that would simply not happen. It appears that like his resignation [as Northern Ireland first minister] was for electoral purposes, the reality is that we were right once again.
"There will be a renegotiation of the Agreement and it doesn't matter what they stick together on this occasion. It won't be able to command the support of the community and therefore will collapse. Ultimately there will have to be an agreement which will have the support of both sections of our community and not just the nationalists," said Mr Robinson.
He indicated his party was prepared to pursue a legal challenge to ensure that the proposals that would be released to the pro-Agreement parties this week was also given to the DUP.
This was despite the party refusing to participate in the talks at Weston Park that led to the package of proposals.
When the package is released, probably on Wednesday, the parties will have until August 12th to respond to the proposals.
PA