UUP dispute reveals party cracks

The divisions within the UUP were outlined in sharp relief yesterday when Mr David Trimble's press conference was interrupted by one of his fellow party officers as he was outlining why the time had come to set up the executive and the institutions flowing from the Belfast Agreement.

The same anti-Belfast agreement officer, Mr David Brewster, also engaged in a brief but heated exchange with Mr Ken Maginnis.

Mr Trimble chose yesterday to embark on a determined campaign to win party support for the compromise agreement struck on devolution and decommissioning during the Mitchell review. But his embracing of the deal was marred yesterday by wrangling between the Yes and No camps within the UUP.

Mr Brewster, one of the UUP's 14 officers and a member of the anti-agreement Union First group, with Mr Jeffrey Donaldson by his side, disrupted Mr Trimble's press conference at party headquarters in Glengall Street, Belfast yesterday.

The incident happened shortly after Mr Trimble expressed confidence that the compromise deal on devolution and decommissioning would win "significant" backing from the UUP's supreme ruling body, the 860-member Ulster Unionist Council.

It was the wording of the statement announcing the UUC meeting that precipitated the row. The statement said: "We believe that the statements by Sinn Fein and the IRA represent, for the first time, a real step forward. Our aim is to transform our society from one based on the use or threat of force to one based solely on the democratic process. The disarmament process and the establishment of the institutions are essential elements in achieving this objective.

"In view of the changed circumstances, the officers have agreed to convene a meeting with the Ulster Unionist Council on Saturday, November 27th, 1999 and will make a recommendation to that meeting that, in light of recent developments, the time has now come to establish all the institutions created by the Belfast Agreement."

It was the use of "we" and "our", suggesting that all the party officers supported establishing the institutions, that enraged Mr Brewster. He interrupted the press conference when party chairman Lord Rogan was speaking to say that while the officers agreed to the UUC convening next Saturday, they did not collectively agree to the deal.

"We did not do that, sir. It is about time we had some honesty in this party," Mr Brewster declared from the back of the room. Thereupon Mr Trimble conceded that the wording of the statement was incorrect, that it should have been solely in his name.

When the press conference ended the UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, and Mr Brewster exchanged words. Mr Maginnis deplored Mr Brewster's action but as camera crews came nearer he ended the discussion, saying he wasn't prepared to continue the conversation in such a public setting.

And later yesterday afternoon a further statement was issued from UUP HQ. "Mr Trimble and Mr Brewster express regret over this unfortunate incident and would ask that the press disregard the unfortunate exchange of comments that took place," it said.

The row from Mr Trimble's standpoint had the effect of deflecting attention from what was a fairly forceful defence of the deal. At the outset of the press conference Mr Trimble said the deal was part of an evolutionary process leading to the beneficial transformation of society.

"I am quite sure that this party will rise to the challenge and will go forward together," he said.

Before the exchanges Mr Trimble said anti-agreement unionists from outside the UUP would engage in vicious personal attacks, "their stock in trade", on the Yes camp in his party. He was confident that this would not happen in the UUP.

Asked if the UUC would support the deal, Mr Trimble replied: "I am quite sure that we are going to get an endorsement. I am confident that we are going to get quite a significant endorsement and I don't have any reservations or doubts in that respect.

"I think you will find that those people who are commenting on the situation will be quite surprised next Saturday because there is actually a mood in the country, which I am sure our delegates will reflect, saying that this is time to break the stalemate. This is the time to get things going. And if this is the time to put things up to people for them to decide, well then we will do it."

Asked if had he deviated from the policy of "no guns, no government", Mr Trimble said that the two issues may be delivered "in a slightly different order".

"But at the end of the day, if we achieve both, is anyone going to be concerned about a delay in terms of a sequencing in achieving them?"

Mr Donaldson, accompanied by Mr Brewster and Ms Arlene Foster, also of Union First, then gave their own impromptu press conference. Mr Donaldson repeated that the deal was inadequate because there was no commitment on decommissioning.

Asked if it was true, as a UUP member had suggested, that Mr Donaldson had tried to realign himself with the pro-agreement group in the UUP, Mr Donaldson replied: "I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about. I think whoever was suggesting that was either engaging in dirty tricks or living in cloudcuckoo land."

Mr Donaldson said he was concerned that there could be a split in the party over this issue. The alternative to Mr Trimble's method of achieving decommissioning was "to hold the IRA to the requirement to decommission their weapons and to begin that process," he added.