N.Ireland's Trimble under pressure

Trinmble has vowed to fight to remain UUP chief

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Northern Ireland's First Minister David Trimble may face a leadership challenge if local government election results go against his party.

Election counts are taking place on Monday -- and hardliners in his Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) have indicated they will bid to oust him as party leader if heavy losses are sustained.

In the UK general election last week, the party saw the number of Members of Parliament (MPs) it sends to Westminster cut from nine to six.

The hardliners fear that heavy loss will be repeated in the local elections and have indicated that a challenge to Trimble's leadership is likely at the party's annual general meeting later this month if their fears are realised.

Trimble has vowed to fight to remain Ulster Unionist leader, but one hardliner told the UK Press Association: "If we take further reversals on local government it becomes very difficult for Trimble to put a gloss on it."

But as the UUP leader battles to retain control of his party, Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern have already arranged talks on the potential crisis in the peace process.

The pair will meet later this week during a summit of European leaders in Gothenberg.

The Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party, which bitterly opposes the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland, saw its quota rise from three to five MPs in the election and is now calling for a complete overhaul of the peace deal.

The party's newly-elected North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds insisted a majority of Unionists now opposed the accord.

"No matter how they describe it, the reality is there's going to have to be a fundamental look at the basis on which this process operates," he told the Press Association.

"Trimble has basically run out of credibility and he is now running out of votes. The writing is on the wall," he added.

But Trimble has pledged to fight off any threat to his stewardship that emerges from the anti-Agreement wing at the party's AGM on June 23.

He said: "As always my position is up for re-election, I will be offering myself again for that position and if anyone else from within the party wishes to challenge me so be it.

"That is the democratic wish and mandate of the party. I'm not scared of a challenge. I have been absolutely open with the party through this process."