UUP move pressures Secretary of State and Republicans

The Ulster Unionist Party has tabled a motion calling on the Secretary of State to clarify the government’s position on the current state of the IRA ceasefire.

Meanwhile after a meeting with the Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan on Monday April 22, Mr Trimble announced that he would be seeking an urgent meeting with Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to discuss the recent high profile Castlereagh break-in.

“The police’s principle line of inquiry is pointing directly towards senior Republicans,” Mr Trimble told reporters.

“At this stage it is absolutely essential that the republican movement comes clean on this issue. And I would have to point to the leadership of the Republican movement and that I mean, Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, to demonstrate that they are in control themselves… of the Republican movement in its broadest sense.”

The motion tabled with the Speaker’s Office by UUP party leader David Trimble and all his UUP assembly members highlights the acceptance by all parties to the Mitchell principles of democracy and non violence.

The motion also draws attention to the requirement in the Good Friday Agreement for a commitment to exclusively peaceful means particularly in light of the serious violence in north Belfast and recent murders and paramilitary actions in Northern Ireland.

As a result, the motion calls on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland John Reid to “make a determination on the status of the IRA ceasefire and to make a statement indicating the consequential measures he considers appropriate.”

It also calls for other Unionists to support the motion in an effort to obtain cross community support for the motion.

The motion will be discussed by the Assembly’s Business Committee, which meets on Tuesday, to decide if it can be debated in the chamber.

(AMcE)