Andersontown News, October 8, 2002 - http://www.irelandclick.com/
Trimble sets new deadline for Sinn Féin expulsion
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has told British prime minister Tony
Blair that he will withdraw his party's ministers from the powersharing
Executive unless there is a move to expel Sinn Féin within a week.
Mr Trimble spoke of his new deadline after a meeting with the UK premier on
Tuesday.
It is believed, however, that Mr Trimble's demand that Mr Blair move
immediately against Sinn Féin was rejected as Mr Blair wants to meet the
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams before making any
decision.
Also on Tuesday, the disks taken by police during their controversial raid
on Sinn Féin's Assembly offices were returned to the party's lawyers.
On Monday night, Gerry Adams met Taoiseach Ahern in Dublin in the first of
several meetings to try and rescue the embattled political institutions.
The West Belfast MP, who was joined by education minister Martin McGuinness,
stressed to Mr Ahern that Sinn Féin had not been involved in intelligence
gathering activities and was committed to making politics work.
The escalating crisis was triggered on Friday by the PSNI raid on Sinn Féin
offices at the Northern Ireland Assembly as part of an investigation into
leaks from the Northern Ireland Office.
Mr Trimble's meeting with the British premier coincided with the
announcement of the withdrawal by the anti-agreement DUP of its ministers,
Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds, from the Executive.
The two men will step down on Friday from their regional development and
social development portfolios respectively.
The announcement was the third policy shift in 24 hours by the
anti-agreement party. On Monday it announced it would not withdraw its
ministers until David Trimble pulled his ministers out.
Then on Monday evening, sources said the ministers would resign first thing
on Tuesday.
However, Tuesday's announcement means they won the race to the power-sharing
exit, four days before the expiry of David Trimble's deadline.
The entire peace process is enveloped with a sense of doom as Ulster
Unionists appear set to deliver early on the threat formulated at the
party's council meeting in September.
Under this motion, the UUC committed the party's leadership to withdraw from
the Assembly unless the IRA had disbanded by 18 January.
The Taoiseach is due to meet Mr Blair in Downing Street on Wednesday while a
Sinn Féin delegation will hold talks with the UK premier on Thursday.
On Monday, PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde apologised for the manner of the
raid on the Stormont building but remained defiant on what he said was the
need to carry it out.
His apology was discounted by Sinn Féin Assembly member Gerry Kelly who
accused the PSNI of "operating to a unionist agenda".
"Hugh Orde's weasel words about the manner in which this was done cut no ice.
"He, like his predecessors, will defend the PSNI, right or wrong. That is
the inevitable corruption of the head of a police force which continues to
have a political agenda. This is one reason why the PSNI remains
unacceptable."
Meanwhile, a third person has been charged by the PSNI on charges in
connection with Friday's raids.
William Mackessy, 44, from north Belfast, has been charged with two counts
of having documents likely to be of use to terrorists.
Journalist: Concubhar Ó Liatháin