Republican News · Thursday 15 August 2002

UUP will damage Process if they walk away from institutions

Newry Armagh Assembly member Conor Murphy, has urged the UUP to consider the damage they will do to the peace process if they continue with threats to walk away from the political institutions.

The Sinn Féin Assembly group leader, speaking after a meeting of the party Assembly Executive on Tuesday 12 August, said:

"If the UUP continue with their threats to walk away from the political institutions, they will not only damage the peace process but also hand a decisive initiative to anti-Agreement forces within loyalism, republicanism and unionism.

"Certainly throughout nationalist communities, and indeed all communities that are under sectarian attack, there is a realisation that the UUP collapsing the institutions will only make matters worse.

"The UUP say they cannot continue to share power with Sinn Féin but in truth, workable solutions must be inclusive of every part of our society.

"The UUP needs to deal with the real dilemma facing us all. Today another Catholic died as a result of a sectarian attack. Next week, there could well be another Catholic or Protestant death. People want to know when will the UUP join with the other pro-Agreement parties to confront sectarianism. The UUP needs to use its influence to end the loyalist killing campaign. They need to explain how their threat to tear down the political institutions will help to bring this about."