THE Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, yesterday accused UK Unionist, Mr Bob McCartney, and DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, of scaremongering" in the latest row over arms decommissioning.
Mr McCartney had accused the Ulster Unionists of "kicking" the decommissioning issue into a "fourth strand [of discussions], which many unionists speak of as "a burial chamber".
He was referring to a newspaper article describing a confidential report on decommissioning which allegedly the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP and Alliance have virtually agreed on.
Outside the Forum chamber in Belfast yesterday tensions flared as Mr McCartney and Mr Robinson accused the Ulster Unionists of negotiating behind the backs of the electorate.
A report in the Irish News quotes sources close to the talks claiming the 10-paragraph document shows agreement on establishing an independent commission of international standing, including experts on decommissioning and support staff, that this commission would have legal status and implement "a programme" of decommissioning; plus the setting up of a "liaison sub-committee" to interface be tween the multi-party talks plenary meetings and the commission. It also alleged the majority of points in the decommissioning document had been agreed between the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP and Alliance.
However, this was denied yesterday by Mr Trimble, who said there would be no fourth strand. This was guaranteed, he said, "because nothing can happen without our agreement".
"Unfortunately, there has not been agreement. I wish that there was agreement with the other parties and particularly the two governments," said Mr Trimble.
"These gentlemen really ought to behave in a more responsible manner, said Mr Trimble adding that he had offered other parties a briefing on the document which the UK Unionists and DUP had not attended.
However, Mr Robinson said: "The furthest they were prepared to go was to brief us on the document, but they would not let us see the document, still less let us have the document."
Mr McCartney said: "It makes it quite clear that the Ulster Unionists had virtually agreed that which they publicly said they would never agree, namely that decommissioning would be kicked into a fourth strand looked after by sub-committees.