TUV throws down gauntlet at conference
The Traditional Unionist Voice has spelled out its hopes of bringing down the power-sharing government.
Saturday, 07 November 2009
Led by former DUP member Jim Allister, the TUV plans to use its strength among disaffected unionists angry at Sinn Fein's inclusion in government to build political opposition to power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
The TUV leader said he will fight forthcoming elections where he hopes to convert grass-roots support into parliamentary seats at Westminster and Stormont.
"Right across this Province we will see candidates elected who are committed to replace the present undemocratic structures and chaos with good government, built firmly not on appeasing terrorists, but on respecting the fundamentals of democracy," he said.
Mr Allister told his party conference in Belfast he would build a political bridgehead in the Stormont Assembly where the DUP and Sinn Fein share power, with the aim of wrecking the system from within.
"Because with a large enough dissenting unionist bloc, it cannot survive," he said.
The TUV leader held a European Parliament seat for the DUP before splitting with the party over its decision to enter government with republicans.
Earlier this year he failed to retain his seat in the European election when he stood under his new TUV banner, but he won 66,197 votes, representing 13.7% support.
His performance rocked the DUP, pushing it into third place in the election and causing its support to fall to 18.2%.
Mr Allister told his supporters they had forced the DUP to hold off on Sinn Fein demands for the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont.
"But for TUV, policing and justice would already be devolved," said Mr Allister.
"The delay is further evidence of the policy-changing pressure TUV has been able to exercise. There are 66,000 reasons for Peter Robinson's foot on the brake pedal.
"The votes for TUV in June are proving to be the most influential of all those cast."
He said the TUV was "the Unionist people's best insurance policy" against Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein having influence over the justice system.
Mr Allister added: "But, make no mistake, the DUP is preparing to deliver this key republican demand.
"It used to be the IRA decided when judges would be killed and policemen butchered, soon they will exercise a controlling veto over those very disciplines."
"So in the next Assembly election TUV will be presenting a very clear platform of irreversible opposition to terrorists in government and the system of mandatory coalition designed to keep them there."
The DUP hit out at the TUV and said it was attacking fellow unionists, thereby playing into the hands of republicans.
It suggested that splitting the unionist vote risked helping republicans to gain further influence over Northern Ireland politics.
The DUP added: "It takes a twisted kind of logic to argue that making Sinn Fein the largest party is good for unionism."
© Press Association