N. Ireland peace at stake in vote

By CNN European Political Editor Robin Oakley

A paramilitary ceasefire helped ensure the formation of the Northern Ireland Assembly

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Although only 18 Northern Ireland seats are up for grabs in the UK Parliament, the outcome of the June 7 general elections will be crucial to the peace process.

Of the eight main parties contesting the elections, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is the largest. Led by David Trimble, who is also first minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the UUP currently holds nine seats in the House of Commons, having lost a 10th seat in a by-election in September 2000.

The UUP backed the Good Friday peace agreement and campaigned for a "Yes" vote in the referendum that followed. But not all its MPs agreed, and the party membership has been split ever since on the issue.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by the Rev Ian Paisley, has three MPs at Westminster, including the seat lost by the UUP in 2000. As hard-line unionists, they opposed the Good Friday Agreement and voted "No" in the referendum.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) is the main nationalist party, striving for a united Ireland by constitutional means. Led by John Hume and enthusiastic backers of the peace process, they too have three Westminster MPs.

IN-DEPTH Conflict and Hope in Northern Ireland   • Overview   • Decommissioning   • Marching season   • Police reform   • Maze prison   • Dying for peace   • Timeline   • Maps   • Profiles   • Quiz

Sinn Fein is the main republican party, dedicated to the end of British rule in Northern Ireland and to a unified sovereign state on the island. It has two MPs at Westminster, the high-profile Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, who recently acknowledged his former role in the IRA.

Another Westminster MP from Northern Ireland is Robert McCartney, leader of the hard-line United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP), something of a one-man band.

Parties without Westminster MPs include the fringe Northern Ireland Unionist Party (NIUP); the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), which is the political wing of the loyalist paramilitary group UVF; and Sean Neeson's non-sectarian Alliance Party, keen backers of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.

In the June 7 vote, the DUP, Sinn Fein and the SDLP are all expecting to advance, while the UUP is worried about further erosion of its power.

The main cause of unease over the peace process derives from tensions within the UUP, where Trimble's opponents say he has conceded too much to republicans in the search for peace deals.

Originally the Trimble-led UUP stipulated it would not sit in government in Northern Ireland with the nationalists of Sinn Fein until the IRA began to hand over its weapons. Then they agreed to sit with them on a "jump together" basis while the IRA began decommissioning.

Finally they sat with them while the IRA merely began the process leading to arms decommissioning.

Trimble has faced several challenges from party hard-liners, whose strength is expected to increase after the election. The UUP fears further election losses to the anti-agreement DUP.

In a bid to keep the decommissioning issue from dominating the election in Northern Ireland and to wrong-foot the DUP, Trimble has lodged a letter resigning as first minister on July 1 unless the IRA has by then moved to put its arms beyond use.

It is a high-stakes gamble that could lead to the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland.

The DUP has dismissed it as a stunt, Sinn Fein has called it a disaster and UK Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid has expressed his regret over Trimble's move.

But if the forces of hard-line unionism are reinforced by the general election result, then many will fear for the future of the peace process.

Back to top