There needs to be more clarity from the Ulster Unionist Party about its stance on IRA weapons decommissioning if the party is to avoid heavy losses in the forthcoming elections, anti-Belfast agreement MP Jeffery Donaldson claimed today.
The Ulster Unionist MP warned his party was facing serious losses at the general election and the local government elections in Northern Ireland if they did not spell out clearly their stance on IRA disarmament and on sharing power with Sinn Féin.
Mr Donaldson told PA News: "I feel the party needs to bring more clarity to its positions on decommissioning and Sinn Féin.
"If it fails to do so, we will sustain serious losses in the elections."Already there is a considerable degree of disillusionment and a lot of concerns amongst Unionist voters in general about the current direction of policy.
"We ignore those concerned at our peril."
Mr Donaldson said the decision by the European Courts of Human Rights to force the government to pay compensation to the relatives of IRA members killed by the security forces and development surrounding Sinn Féin minister Martin McGuinness' admission that he was a leading IRA member in Derry at the time of the Bloody Sunday shootings in January 1972 were having a "negative impact" on Unionists voters.
"I think there are very real concerns about Martin McGuinness' confession and the disgraceful judgement by the European Court," the Lagan Valley MP said.
"Those are increasing concerns and frustrations of Unionists generally."
The Lagan Valley MP acknowledged that the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists' were intent on destroying the UUP in the elections.It was therefore vital that the party could stake out a clear position on the arms issue and on Sinn Féin in the run up to the Westminster and local council polls, he said.
Mr Donaldson said the response to his six-point plan earlier this week which demanded action on IRA disarmament by June had been positive.
"We are anxious to move the debate on and we do not pretend to have a monopoly on how it should be brought forward," he insisted.
"I have set out a number of points which should be adopted but I think that those should not necessarily remain within the confines of the Ulster Unionist Party.
"Unionism generally needs to look towards building common ground because we cannot continue indefinitely with the situation where we are continually at each others throats."
PA