UUP must help seek end to loyalist violence -

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday July 30, 2002 03:03 by McMean

Ending all violence should be the main concern of the pro-Agreement parties as indications mount that Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble may resign as First Minister in September to force an Assembly election as early as November.

Yesterday, a senior Ulster Unionist, Reg Empey, has said his
party was facing a "terrible dilemma" on whether to pull out of
the power-sharing executive in the face of British government
inaction on paramilitary ceasefires.

Speculation is rife that the UUP leader, David Trimble, might
decide to pull his ministers out of government in September after
ostensible cons He is believed to have told senior advisors to
prepare for the possibility of Assembly elections in November.

Empey, the North's Trade Minister and a close ally of Mr Trimble,
said the UUP was struggling with the "moral dilemma" of sharing
power with Sinn Fein because it was "linked to a paramilitary
organisation [that] has not completely terminated its
paramilitary operations".

Responding today in Belfast, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said
if there was a moral imperative in anything that politicians are
doing "it should be about ending all violence and about dealing
with everyone on the basis of equality.

"The UUP needs to deal with the real dilemma facing Catholics at
this time. The Catholic community and other people of goodwill
want to know when the killing of Catholics is going to stop. They
want to know when the UUP is going to join with the other
pro-Agreement parties to confront sectarianism. The UUP has a
responsibility to use its influence at this time to get the
loyalist killing campaign stopped. They need to explain how their
threat to tear down the political institutions will help to bring
this about.

"The UUP sits on the Loyalist Commission - Sinn Fein support
dialogue so I am not taking issue with them over this - though
there is anger in among nationalists and republicans at the
double standards involved in UUP protestations over Sinn Fein's
rightful involvement in the Executive and the UUP's involvement
in the Loyalist Commission.

"What the UUP needs to make clear is when the Loyalist Commission
is going to announce that the killing of Catholics will end. The
UUP and the British Government should be focusing on this."