Donaldson calls for new sanctions against Sinn Fein

Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble was today urged to step up sanctions against Sinn Fein for failing to deliver IRA…

Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble was today urged to step up sanctions against Sinn Fein for failing to deliver IRA disarmament.

The call came from fellow Ulster Unionist Party MP Jeffrey Donaldson who claimed Republicans were holding the political process to ransom.

The Lagan Valley MP also said the Northern Ireland Assembly should debate a motion on throwing Sinn Fein out of the power-sharing government at Stormont.

General John De Chastelain's weapons decommissioning body said this week it believed progress could be made on IRA weapons.

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It prompted calls from Sinn Fein for an end to a ban on official cross-border meetings imposed by Mr Trimble against its two ministers, Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun.

But Mr Donaldson said the absence so far of any moves by the paramilitaries could not continue indefinitely. "I don't think it's right that one party should hold the whole process to ransom," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

Yesterday pro-Agreement UUP Minister Sam Foster said the De Chastelain findings were "disappointing" and not enough to end the sanctions against Sinn Fein. PA