Paisley pushes to dissolve Assembly

Hardline unionists moved today to dissolve Northern Ireland’s powersharing Assembly.

As politicians returned to Stormont, DUP leader Ian Paisley tabled a motion calling for an early election.

He said: “The time for words is past. It’s time to halt the slide in Northern Ireland.”

As the Ulster Unionist Party prepares for a crunch meeting next month to debate whether to remain in government with Sinn Fein, the DUP leader accused First Minister David Trimble of clinging to power.

“While Mr Trimble and his party concentrate on self preservation, Sinn Fein/IRA are allowed to continue to set the agenda and pace.

“This cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.

The Ulster Unionist ruling council meeting, which will take place on September 21, was forced by the anti-Agreement camp, which wants immediate sanctions against Sinn Fein.

The meeting was prompted by allegations of IRA involvement with left wing guerillas in Colombia, the break-in at a Special Branch office in east Belfast and ongoing street violence.

Mr Paisley claimed his party would re-negotiate the Good Friday Agreement after the Assembly elections.

“Having got Northern Ireland into this mess, it is clear that Trimble’s Ulster Unionist Party cannot re-negotiate on behalf of the Ulster people.

“They are only interested in clinging to power regardless of the consequences to the unionist community.”

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein today urged all parties in the Stormont Assembly to stand together to oppose the evils of sectarianism.

Chief whip Sue Ramsey called for unanimous support for its motion due to be debated at next week’s first full meeting of the powersharing body.

Ms Ramsey said the Assembly must send out a clear signal that violence must end.

“Sectarianism is unacceptable and we must use our combined efforts to address the situation and bring it to an end,” she said.

"Sectarianism would only stop when the two communities got together to resolve their difficulties," she added.

“The Assembly needs to send out a clear signal that we are united in our stand against sectarianism.”

Sinn Fein has already had initial meetings with a number of parties and is hoping to meet the unionist parties before tomorrow’s business committee in order to achieve unanimous support for the motion.