Power struggle developing in Ulster?

Press, 18 June 1976, Page 6

Power struggle developing in Ulster?

NZPA-Reuter Belfast Against a background of continuing sectarian and guerrilla violence, Protestant and Roman Catholic political leaders in Northern Ireland have been holding secret peace talks on the deadlocked issue of partnership in a future home-rule Government, writes John Mahon. After so many failures to reach agreement, no-one is optimistic that the fresh initative will bring peace in the Britsh province any closer; and the inter-party discussions have already touched off a controversy within the three-partv coalition of Protestant Unionists which has previously blocked all moves, especially those of the British Government, to give the one-third Roman Catholic minority a share in governing the stricken province. Political observers believe that a power struggle is now developing between the ex-

tremist and more moderate factions within the coalition that is likely to break the no-power-sharing alliance and the dominance of its toughest hardliner, the Rev. lan Paisley. This, they think, could lead to the formation of new political alignments in the search for a way out of the constitutional impasse. The vociferous political parson, seen by his many enemies as the biggest obstacle to Protestant-Roman Catholic reconciliation throughout the seven years of sectarian conflict and guerrilla warfare, is again in the centre of the political furore. The coalition consists of the Official Unionists, the province’s main party, led by Mr Harry West, the Democratic Unionists led by Mr Paisley, and the smaller Ulster Unionist movement led by Mr Ernest Baird, another noted hardliner. Many of the Official Unionists have become increasingly unhappy with their link with

Mr Paisley and his extremist supporters, and there have been frequent clashes over policy and tactics. The latest row originated with the disclosure, leaked by Mr Paisley despite a confidentiality pledge, that Official Unionist leaders were holding secret discussions with the main Roman Catholic Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Mr Paisley publicly pilloried his coalition partners for engaging in what he hinted were back-door negotiations on some sell-out deal with the Roman Catholics, and demanded that the contacts be stopped. Despite the fact that the S.D.L.P. and the Irish Republican Army are bitter enemies, Mr Paisley’s followers have been led to believe that any concessions to the Roman Catholic politicians would further the Irish guerrilla’s plans to break the link with Britain and bring Northern Ireland into a Roman Catholic-dominated All-Ireland Republic. Political sources think V

that Mr Paisley may have over reached himself in his attacks on the Official Unionist leaders, who are showing that they are not prepared to bow under his castigations even if it means sacrificing coalition unity. They have reacted by accusing Mr Paisley of trying to sabotage ' the peace probes with his "highly mischievous” interventions. Mr West, who is also the coalition leader, has bluntly rejected the demand for an end to the inter-party talks, and has said firmly that they will continue while there is any hope of finding a solution. Another rebuff for Mr Paisley came from the head of the powerful Protestant Orange Order, the Rev. Martin Smyth, an Official Unionist member who participated in the talks. He said that if there was the slightest glimmer of hope that the political deadlock could be broken and dev o 1 v e d Government achieved, “we will follow it

through, whatever our obscurist critics say.” Mr Smyth, one of the very influential figures on the political scene, added significantly: “If the coalition breaks up in the process because of the attitude of some hardliners that will be a tragedy for those who want unity, but it would not be an irrevocable disaster.” Support for continuing dialogue with the Roman Cathoolics came from Unionist organisations throughout the province. Meanwhile, the I.R.A. continues its campaign to bomb the British out of Northern Ireland, and there are recurrent outbursts of sectarian killings and woundings by Protestant and Roman catholic para-military groups. With 154 deaths so far this year, and no end to the violence in sight, the politicians are under pressure from the war-weary people in both communities to keep trying for a peaceful solution. The last peace move col-

lapsed in failure last March with dissolution of a Convention of Protestant and Roman Catholic parties established by Britain to produce an agreed powersharing system for a new government to which the British Government would transfer its administrative functions. Mr Paisley and his ally, Mr Baird, played a key role within the Unionist coalition — which had a convention majority — in getting the p o w e r-sharing proposal thrown out. Dominated by the hardliners, the Convention, instead, demanded Protestant majority rule, which Britain promptly rejected. The rival parties were told that there would be no more British Government initiatives, and that it was now up to them to work out their own political salvation. British direct rule would continue until the politicians came up with an agreed solution acceptable to the Westminster Government and Parliament.