N.Ireland leader Trimble accused of "provocation"

Trimble: 'No excuses' from Sinn Fein

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- The shaky peace process in Northern Ireland was plunged back into turmoil on Sunday amid heightened Protestant pressure for IRA disarmament.

The fresh difficulties follow Ulster Unionist (UUP) leader David Trimble's threat to bar republican ministers from sitting on the cross-border North-South council until the IRA makes more progress on decommissioning its weapons.

The threat was described by republicans and nationalists as provocative and a recipe for disaster.

But Trimble -- who survived a crucial vote over his policy of remaining in the assembly on Saturday -- accused republican paramilitaries of reneging on an undertaking to disarm under the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.

He said there could be "no excuses" from Sinn Fein, the republican political party.

"Failing to keep your word is not a cost-free option. I gave them plenty of warning about this, publicly and privately," said Trimble, who is Northern Ireland's first minister.

Trimble said he was "not walking away" from power sharing and that he wanted "devolution" -- home rule for Northern Ireland under British sovereignty -- and disarmament by paramillitary groups.

But Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said the Ulster Unionists were making "stupid and unattainable" demands for IRA disarmament with their sanctions against republicans.

After a meeting with colleagues on the Sinn Fein national executive in Castlebellingham, Co Louth in the Irish Republic, Adams accused the Ulster Unionist Council of "arrogantly" failing to take into account the significance of the IRA's commitment in May to put their weapons beyond use.

Adams said the threat to exclude Sinn Fein ministers Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun from attending cross-border council meetings meant Trimble was breaking his pledge of office and the Good Friday Agreement.

"Sinn Fein does not hold executive position by dint of patronage from the UUP. We have a mandate and the citizens whom we represent must have exactly the same rights as all other citizens," he argued.

Key Catholic moderate Seamus Mallon of the SDLP criticised Trimble's action as a provocation, while Ireland's Foreign Minister Brian Cowen voiced concern.

But Britain's Northern Ireland's Secretary Peter Mandelson urged against overreacting to Trimble's comments.

Truces are holding in Northern Ireland, but in an echo of violence that used to haunt the area a man was shot dead in a Protestant zone in Belfast late on Saturday.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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October 28, 2000
Ulster Unionists vote on Trimble's future
October 28, 2000
Trimble boosted ahead of showdown
October 27, 2000
Trimble clashes with party hardliners
October 7, 2000
Northern Ireland peace process faces 'greatest threat'
February 8, 2000

Ulster Unionist Party
Sinn Fein
Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Assembly

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