Orangemen and women will echo the call of South Antrim M.P.,
David Burnside, that the main Unionist parties should sit
down and agree the strategy and tactics for Unionism in the
future.
The South Antrim Ulster Unionist M.P., made his plea at a
meeting of Lagan Valley Young Unionists in Lisburn.
Mr. Burnside said it was make up your mind time for political
parties in Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist party must
come down firmly that it is totally unacceptable for Sinn
Fein/I.R.A. to remain in executive government of Northern
Ireland.
“Since 1998 Sinn Fein/I.R.A. have not turned into a
democratic movement. Their continuing involvement in domestic
and international terrorism and crime; their continued existence
as an armed terrorist organisation, and their numerous violations
of their ceasefire invalidates their electoral mandate.
“The British government may want to accept the lies,
hypocrisy and deceit that comes from the spokesmen of the
republican movement, but Unionists should not be so gullible.
“I would call on the president of the Ulster Unionist
Council the Rev. Martin Smyth, to host a United Unionist Convention
of Ulster Unionists, Democratic Unionists and the smaller
Unionist parties and individuals with a view to agreeing a
bottom line for renegotiating the Belfast Agreement.
“We need to replace the cross-community support under
the existing legislation with a 60 per cent weighted majority
and the ending of Unionist involvement in bilateral negotiations
with the British and Irish governments.
“There is nothing wrong with cross-border institutions
or bodies, but the internal institutions at Stormont and the
internal affairs of Northern Ireland should be the sole responsibility
of the United Kingdom Government and Parliament.”
David Burnside, a Co. Antrim Orangeman, said Maryfield and
the Anglo Irish Agreement may have disappeared in 1998 but
they were merely replaced by the Weston Park-Hillsborough
style meetings that are little less than joint authority.
“No Unionist should take part in the mechanics of such
a political process.
“Unionists of all shades also need to let the Government
know that any attempt to bend the rules to bring Sinn Fein
on to the Police Board would lead to Unionist withdrawal from
the Board.
“September is the time for a United Unionist Convention
to try and stop unionists bickering and infighting which is
putting off 10-20 per cent of the Unionist electorate. It
is also time to put pressure on the S.D.L.P. to separate themselves
from Sinn Fein. If the S.D.L.P. want an executive to continue
at Stormont it must be with collective cabinet responsibility
in the Executive voluntarily negotiated with Ulster Unionists
and the D.U.P.
“The all-inclusive Executive is unacceptable to democrats
because it includes Sinn Fein/I.R.A. representatives. It is
make up your mind time for the Ulster Unionist party in September,
also for the D.U.P. who participate in the institutions of
the Agreement but are vociferously against it publicly. It
is time the D.U.P. declared what is a viable alternative.
The S.D.L.P. need to offer an alternative to the Roman Catholic
population rather than running after Sinn Fein’s political
objectives.
The South Antrim M.P., added: “Democracy can only strengthen
when Sinn Fein is marginalized and isolated and made unattractive
to the electorate. A United Unionist Convention can start
that process and in the next Assembly elections if Unionists
act together rather than fighting amongst themselves we can
replace the Belfast Agreement with new democratic institutions
for the benefit of all of Northern Ireland rather than the
failed and flawed institutions that exist at present.”
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