Protestant Party Backs Peace Pact

Northern Ireland's main Protestant party swallowed its misgivings today and voted to back a peace agreement to share power with Catholics.

The Ulster Unionist Party's governing council voted 540-210 in favor of the deal, matching the optimistic predictions of party leader David Trimble.

At war within itself, Northern Ireland's largest political party had debated whether to embrace the agreement, designed to bring peace to the long-suffering land.

If Trimble had not secured the backing of his party's governing council, the agreement itself ultimately may have failed. But Trimble, who received a standing ovation when he entered the conference hall Saturday, had predicted the party would unite in support of the peace accord.

"I will not be wrong on this matter," he said Friday.

Outside the conference hall, Protestants supporters and opponents of the accord shouted at each other across police barricades. Opponents of the agreement surged forward, yelling "traitor," when an aide to Trimble arrived.

The party meeting precedes a May 22 referendum on the power-sharing accord, struck April 10 after months of negotiations. If Northern Ireland voters approve, the province will get its own legislature, which would be obliged to cooperate with the Republic of Ireland on some issues affecting the whole island.

To gain support from the Irish Republican Army and pro-British paramilitary groups, the agreement promised to speed up the release of those groups' prisoners.

The Irish government, yielding to a key demand of the Protestant unionists, will hold its own referendum on amending its constitution to drop its claim on the territory of Northern Ireland.

Among both Protestants and Catholics, there are people who think their side gave up too much.

John Hunter, member of Ulster Unionist council and an opponent of the pact, said arguments have been ferocious.

"You've had people starting to argue, families are split, lifelong friends are split," Hunter said. "My great fear is that unionism has the potential at this time to literally pull itself apart."

Sinn Fein, the party allied to the IRA, was opening its debate on the agreement in Dublin Saturday, but isn't expected to reach a conclusion for two more weeks. Like the Ulster Unionists, Sinn Fein is considered crucial to the success of the agreement.

Trimble, a 54-year-old law professor, was elected leader of the Ulster Unionists three years ago. If the agreement goes ahead, he is likely to be the leader of Northern Ireland's government.

He says the agreement has secured Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom, and will force the Irish Republican Army's allies to accept, for the first time, that there will be no united Ireland until a majority of Northern Ireland's people want it.

Trimble says it's the only deal available, and that no one has proposed a credible alternative. He disikes some parts of the deal, such as the accelerated release of prisoners, the international commission to recommend changes in the provincial police force, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and another commission looking at the justice system.

Most of the prisoners would be released within two years anyway, he says, and Prime Minister Tony Blair's government will press ahead with the police and justice reviews whether or not the agreement survives.

In interviews with Northern Ireland's main TV channels on Friday, Blair gave Trimble his support.

"It's the easiest thing in the world for people to just sit there and say no," Blair said. "But it's a hopeless way of trying to make progress."

Written by Robert Barr
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