-Caveat Lector-
>From Irish News
> Unionists throw out Patten proposals
>
> By William Graham
> Political Correspondent
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> UNIONISTS� outright rejection of the Patten proposals last night indicated a
> growing sourness within the UUP towards the Good Friday agreement and will have
> a knock-on impact on the Mitchell review.
>
> Already a dark cloud is hanging over the Mitchell review into the implementation
> of the agreement.
>
> This unanimous �no� to the Patten report from the largest unionist party adds to
> the difficulties lying ahead and indirectly further minimises the chances of a
> successful outcome to the Mitchell review.
>
> David Trimble last night maintained his leadership of the Ulster Unionists was
> �rock solid� � and said the party executive committee had concentrated on
> discussing the �deeply flawed� Patten report.
>
> Mr Trimble emerged from Glengall Street Unionist headquarters after several
> hours of discussions with his executive. He quickly dismissed suggestions that
> his leadership was under threat.
>
> Questions about Mr Trimble�s current position have surfaced after the decision
> by his deputy John Taylor to refuse to take part in the Mitchell review process.
> This development has given encouragement to the Good Friday agreement �no� wing
> inside Ulster unionism. Earlier yesterday West Tyrone MP William Thompson said
> that Mr Trimble should resign.
>
> Asked by journalists last night what he would say to people within the UUP who
> were accusing him of betraying unionism, Mr Trimble said: �They�re wrong.�
>
> Pressed on whether there were any calls at yesterday�s executive meeting for him
> to resign, the UUP leader emphatically said �there were none.�
>
> Mr Taylor was absent from the executive meeting and sent his apologies.
>
> Leading anti-agreement unionist Jeffrey Donaldson said yesterday he would not
> engage in talk about �the personalities� as there were issues which were
> important such as policing.
>
> �Policing is an absolutely crucial issue and on that the party is unanimous in
> rejecting the proposals put forward by Chris Patten,� Mr Donaldson said.
>
> Questioned on whether Mr Trimble�s leadership of the UUP was rock solid, Mr
> Donaldson replied: �That was not an issue at the party executive today.�
>
> It was again put to Mr Donaldson � Was there no talk inside the executive
> meeting about Mr Trimble�s leadership?
>
> Mr Donaldson said: �Well there was some discussion about the prospects for the
> Mitchell review. And again it was pretty clear from what people said that they
> hold out little hope of a successful outcome to the review process given the
> intransigence of the terrorist organisations including the IRA � their
> continuing violence and their refusal to decommission their weapons.
>
> �The UUP assembly party has made its view clear it will take this review one day
> at a time and the question is posed when we reach the stage when it is
> absolutely clear (as I believe it is already) that the commitment on the part of
> the terrorist organisations to peaceful means does not exist then we are going
> to have to start to look for another way forward.�
>
> Last night the UUP executive formally rejected outright the Patten report on
> transforming the RUC. They described the recommendations as �deeply flawed and
> objectionable to the greater number of law-abiding people in Northern Ireland.
>
> The UUP said that the recommendations to remove symbols associated with the
> United Kingdom were designed to undermine the identification of the RUC as the
> Northern Ireland element of British policing.
>
> Unionists also said that the recommendation for �foreign oversight is insulting
> to the people of the United Kingdom as a whole�.
>
> Overall they argued that �the Patten report must not be accepted as the way
> forward for policing in Northern Ireland.�
>
> The UUP executive committee has now set up a working party to produce a detailed
> study of policing with alternative proposals to the Patten report.
>
> Ken Maginnis, one of the leading members of the new committee, said that �if the
> Patten report was adopted we would have a Mafia state.�
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UDP warning on police reform
>
> By William Graham
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> THE UDP told Mo Mowlam yesterday if she implemented the Patten report in full it
> would have a negative reaction within the unionist community and repercussions
> for the overall peace process.
>
> UDP leader Gary McMichael and party member David Adams had discussions with the
> secretary of state yesterday about proposed changes in policing.
>
> He said symbolic changes proposed for the RUC could gain confidence inside
> nationalism but at the expense of confidence within unionism.
>
> In terms of the impact on the peace process, Mr McMichael said that unionist
> attitudes were hardening over the policing issue �and they see the symbolic
> issues particularly in the Patten report as being politically driven�.
>
> Mr McMichael said it was important the entire unionist community made their
> views known to the secretary of state so that she was under no illusions as to
> the strength of feeling.
>
> �What we can�t have is a situation where the wishes of one community are
> completely overridden and we have a partisan approach towards modernising the
> police force.
>
> �What we have to have are sensible practical changes that can gain the
> confidence within both communities. That is the only way the police force is
> going to be able to function,� Mr McMichael said.
>
> He said unionists could not understand why the union flag should be removed from
> police stations and why the name of the RUC should be changed to placate
> nationalists.
>
> �They see this is an attempt to remove the identity of the people of Northern
> Ireland. And Northern Ireland is a part of the UK as cemented within the Good
> Friday agreement,� Mr McMichael said.
>
> Mr McMichael said the police themselves should now be making their views known
> about the changes put forward in the Patten report.
>
> Asked about the prospects for the political review of the implementation Good
> Friday agreement given widening divisions within Ulster Unionism, Mr McMichael
> said that unfortunately there was a lack of cohesion inside the UUP.
>
> �The unionist party as a whole has to decide what direction it is going to take
> and stick by that direction. Either give support to the leadership or withdraw
> it. �However, overall people see that the only sensible way forward is in
> pursuing the Good Friday agreement,� Mr McMichael said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From the Belfast Telegraph
> Donaldson seeks new deal
> MP's warning over collapse of process
> <Picture>
> By Noel McAdam, Political Correspondent
> <Picture>
> ULSTER Unionists may soon have to open talks with other constitutional parties
> on an alternative to the Good Friday Agreement, it was warned today. <Picture:
> test> Anti-Agreement MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: "If we are not already at that
> point we are very close to it."The Lagan Valley MP warned the parties must
> prevent a political vaccum developing if, as appeared increasingly likely, the
> peace process collapses. <Picture: test> But senior SDLP negotiator Sean Farren
> said his party would not be tempted by any alternative initiative to the
> Mitchell review. "That's the one we are committed to and determined to exhaust,"
> he said. <Picture: test> He said Mr Donaldson's remarks displayed a lack of
> commitment to the Mitchell review on the implementation of the Agreement and
> "anticipates failure". <Picture: test> The 100-plus Ulster Unionist executive
> was due to meet this afternoon with leader David Trimble coming under increasing
> pressure from the party's anti-Agreement camp. <Picture: test> While his
> position is not under immediate threat, Mr Trimble is likely to be urged to cut
> contact with Sinn Fein to virtually nil. <Picture: test> He was also expected to
> face calls to pull out of the Mitchell review, a strategy the party leadership
> is certain to resist in the short term. <Picture: test> "The meeting will focus
> on the Patten Report and I'm sure there will be anger at its proposals but I
> don't forsee any change in policy over the party's participation in the review,"
> a Trimble supporter said. <Picture: test> Bolstered by UUP deputy leader John
> Taylor's withdrawal from the Mitchell review and the impact of the Patten
> report, the anti- Agreement camp believes it is gaining ground. <Picture: test>
> But it is only ten days since the Executive backed taking part in the review and
> reiterated its firm 'no guns, no government' stance. <Picture: test> West Tyrone
> MP William Thompson said today, however, Mr Trimble should resign and leading
> south Down Unionist Albert Colmer called on him to resign as First Minister
> Designate. <Picture: test> The Vice-Chairman of Down Council and past Chairman
> of his party's South Down Constituency Association, said Mr Trimble should
> resign to highlight the "offensive" nature of the Patten proposals. <Picture:
> test> "The Government must confirm it will accept meaningful and substantial
> changes to the offensive proposals in the Patten Report" he said. <Picture:
> test> But Mr Donaldson said it was not a question of personalities but policies.
> "Confidence in this process is at a very low ebb not just within the Ulster
> Unionist party but within the wider community. <Picture: test> "So therefore I
> think it is time for people to honour their obligations under the Agreement,
> which means terrorists decommissioning their illegal weapons. That is the only
> way in which confidence is going to be restored. <Picture: test> "We cannot
> allow a political vacuum to be created. If the reality is that this Agreement is
> not going to deliver, we must begin discussions with the other constitutional
> parties for an alternative way forward."Recently restored to the party's
> negotiating team, he added: "I don't believe we can or should wait for this
> process to come collapsing around our ears."His comments came as Senator George
> Mitchell was flying back into the province today to give an evaluation and
> assessment of his initial round of discussions with the parties last week.
> <Picture: test>
>
> � Copyright Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd.
A<>E<>R
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