Belfast City Council, the largest council in Northern Ireland, last night voted by a large majority to support the Belfast Agreement. The motion was backed by councillors from the SDLP, Alliance Party, loyalists parties and six Ulster Unionists. Sinn Fein councillors did not vote, awaiting its Dublin conference where they will make a decision on the agreement. The proposer, Mr Steve McBride of the Alliance Party, expressed his jubilation afterwards that Belfast "decided to say Yes instead of No".
He was delighted that 21 councillors supported the agreement, and disappointed that nine voted against, with 12 abstentions.
The biggest surprise was the abstention of Mr Jim Rodgers, Belfast's deputy lord mayor and an Ulster Unionist. This is likely to embarrass the party leader, Mr David Trimble.
A DUP councillor, Mr Nigel Dodds, said the outcome was "a forgone conclusion" but the decision by three UUP councillors to side with his party and vote against, alongside Mr Rodgers' abstention, was "significant".
"I think the decision by Fred Proctor, Margaret Crooks and Nelson McCausland to vote against and the deputy lord mayor's abstention indicates how deeply split the Ulster Unionist Party is on this issue . . . which will all end in tears," said Mr Dodds.
Mr Rodgers said he hadn't reconciled himself to "certain issues" within the agreement, namely the issue of prisoners, policing and decided to abstain on "conscience grounds".
"I have had a number of friends, Protestants and Roman Catholics, murdered over the past 30 years. I am a really religious person and I can't support the release of prisoners who have committed murder."
While the "main issue" was prisoners, Mr Rodgers said a commission on the RUC, decommissioning, and "terrorists . . . holding executive seats in a Northern Ireland Assembly" were unacceptable.
The Belfast deputy lord mayor said his decision had nothing to do with his party leader and said he hadn't decided how he would vote in the referendum on May 22nd. Speaking after the vote, Mr McBride said: "I am delighted that Belfast has decided to vote Yes. It is really good news and I think it is a real indication of have things have changed, even with Sinn Fein and a couple of unionists sitting on the fence. I think it is disappointing that they (Sinn Fein) chose to abstain and need to get their act together on this one, but it was backed by a majority of two to one and that says enough - Belfast is saying Yes to the Agreement."
The Progressive Unionist Party leader, Mr David Ervine, said the vote was a "resounding" blow to detractors against the Belfast Agreement.