The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble has warned critics of the Good Friday agreement that destroying the process would do more to weaken unionism than anything else. He received a fairly hostile reception from the young party members when he adressed them at the Young Unionists conference in Bangor, Co Down. He said that there was no viable alternative to the peace accord, imperfect as it was. Mr Trimble condemned the conference for voting to exclude Sinn Fein from a Stormont power-sharing executive, telling delegates they were opposing party policy. But he reiterated his promise that the party would not sit in government with Sinn Fein, prior to decommissioning taking place.
Earlier, former Ulster Unionist Party leader Lord Molyneaux has said the Good Friday peace accord could sound the death knell for unionism. He said the Ulster Unionists could not trust its Assembly party to support the traditional pledge to uphold the Union with Great Britain when they were bound by law to co-operate with parties intent on destroying it. Lord Molyneaux was speaking at a confernece for younger party members in Bangor. The Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and the RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan were due to address the event.
RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan said today he would resign if the Government axed police jobs before the terrorist threat was reduced. Sir Ronnie, who was guest speaker at the Young Unionists conference in Bangor, Co Down, conceded paramilitary disarmament would be a very important factor in assessing that threat. “If my advice to Government was to be ignored, and I think it's inconceivable it would be ignored, then of course I would resign and I would state publicly why I would resign,” he said. The Chief Constable said there is a significant threat from dissident republican terrorists while mainstream groups, such as the Provisional IRA had not reduced their capacity to cause violence.
The Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has warned that if Mr. Trimble did not face up to his responsibilities, the Good Friday agreement was finished. Addressing the second annual conference of Ogra Sinn Fein in Dublin, Mr Adams accused the Ulster Unionist party of engaging in a high risk strategy, aimed at preventing the establishment of the Executive and the interlocking all-Ireland structures. He said because of that stance, there is no certainty that the Mitchell review will succeed.
In his appraisal of where the peace process currently stands, Gerry Adams said the Ulster Unionist party was engaged in a high risk strategy which was essentially about preventing the establishment of the Executive and the interlocking all-Ireland structures. He claimed the intention was to suck the dynamic and potential out of these elements of the Good Friday Agreement.
He said the UUP slogan "no guns no government" was a contradiction of the agreement and David Trimble and other party leaders knew this. And he said that given that there was no sign that the UUP was prepared to accept any alternative to its decommissioning demand, there could be no certainty of success from the review. He told the Ogra Sinn Fein delegates that if Mr. Trimble did not face up to his responsibilities, then the Good Friday agreement was finished.
Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionits are due to resume their adjourned meeting at Stormont on Monday.
