SEVENTY-ONE per cent off acknowledged Sinn Fein voters in the North agree with the vast majority of other voters that the IRA should call an immediate ceasefire according to the findings of an opinion poll published yesterday.
The poll, carried out for the Irish News newspaper, also shows cross-party support - including 31 per cent of Sinn Fein voters - for a locally-elected power-sharing assembly.
Sinn Fein last night criticised the poll as "notoriously dubious". The party's Northern chairman, Mr Gerry 0 hEara, said it was not credible; the only credible poll taken in recent times had been the entry to negotiations election last May, in which 116,377 people had voted in favour of the Sinn Fein manifesto.
More than three-quarters of all respondents in the poll thought that Sinn Fein should be admitted to the political talks at Stormont immediately after a new IRA cease-fire was called. Unexpectedly SDLP voters favouring this (91 per cent) outnumbered Sinn Fein voters (81 per cent).
Only 18 per cent of all respondents thought that Sinn Fein should be admitted to talks without an IRA ceasefire. Overall 57 per cent thought Sinn Fein should be admitted only after both a renewal of the ceasefire and de-commissioning of arms. Among Protestants, this figure was 79 per cent among Catholics, it was 26 per cent.
Asked if the British government should authorise the early release of loyalist prisoners, 45 per cent of Catholics said yes, but only 35 per cent of Protestants supported this. The greatest backing for a release of loyalist paramilitaries came from Sinn Fein voters (55 per cent), which exceeded that from the PUP and UDP (42 per cent and 52 per cent, respectively).
If the IRA renewed its ceasefire, 58 per cent of Catholics would favour early release of republican prisoners, but 84 per cent of Protestants would be opposed.
There was overall pessimism about the prospects of the multiparty talks reaching a settlement. Only 22 per cent thought this was fairly likely or very likely, while 61 per cent thought it was either fairly unlikely or very unlikely.
The option of a locally-elected power-sharing assembly within the UK was supported by 64 per cent of UUP voters; SDLP, 45 per cent; Alliance, 73 per cent; DUP, 64 per cent; and Sinn Fein, 31 per cent. An assembly with formal links between Northern Ireland and the Republic was acceptable to 69 per cent of SDLP supporters; Alliance, 51 per cent; Sinn Fein, 49 per cent; UUP, 29 per cent; and DUP, 11 per cent.
Overall, 25 per cent of respondents favoured a united Ireland, while 63 per cent were opposed. An independent Northern Ireland was rejected by 62 per cent.
The West Belfast MP, Dr Joe Hendron, called on the IRA to renew its ceasefire on the basis of the opinion poll.