G21 EUROPE

G21 recognizes that the first part of the feature presented a Nationalist point of view. In this Part Two, we will explore the feelings of the Loyalists.]

Irish Eyes

After the Agreement:

The May 22 Vote

Part Two of Two: The Orangemen at Odds

by Joe O'Neill

G21 Europe Contributing Editor

To read this article in Deutsch, Francaise, Italiano, Portuguese, Espanol, copy and paste the complete URL("http://www.generator21.net/irish9.htm") and enter it in the box after you click through.

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As voters in Ireland north and south prepare to go to the voting booths on May 22, to accept or reject in a referendum the Belfast Agreement peace accord, brokered in Stormont Castle on Good Friday, acceptance of the Agreement has run into serious trouble with many loyalist voters.

Opinion polls show that most nationalists support the Agreement while unity within the main Unionist Party, the Ulster Unionist Party, led by David Trimble, has begun to unravel.

Six out of ten UUP members of Parliament have declared themselves against acceptance of the Agreement and the former leader of the party Lord Molyneaux has condemned the accord.

Trimble, who signed the Agreement with the support of some smaller loyalist parties aligned to loyalist paramilitaries, is certain to face a challenge to his leadership should he fail to achieve a respectable number of loyalist votes. Leading the charge against a Yes vote, is the Reverend Ian Paisley, of the Democratic Unionist Party and Bob McCartney, of the United Kingdom Unionists, both of whom refused to participate in the talks. The duo have formed a broad front of loyalist opposition, which even should the referendum pass, they could retain the ability to wreak havoc in the new Assembly.

Without a respectable showing Trimble may be unable to flex enough political muscle to insist that constituency parties select only supporters of the Agreement, in the forthcoming elections for the Assembly. Based on previous elections in the north of Ireland Paisley's party could take 22 seats and McCartney 3, plus the addition of the 6 UUP M.P.'s and other UUP candidates in the No camp, the forces against the Agreement would have the 30 members required to instigate at any time in the Assembly a special procedure motion and the ability to create procedural havoc.



Joe O'Neill writes for various publications in the United States and Ireland. An abbreviated version of the first installment of this article appeared in the Irish Echo Online.

G21 EDITORIAL

The Historic Vote

Even as we go to launch this web magazine, thousands in Ireland are going to the polls. The ironic part of this investigation by columnist JOE O'NEILL is that G21 comes away from the story with the distinct opinion that the Catholics will carry the day on this issue, despite strong misgivings by many. As a leftist, I am reminded of the words of James Connolly, almost a century ago:

"If you remove the English army to-morrow and hoist the green flag over Dublin Castle, unless you set about the organisation of the Socialist Republic your efforts would be in vain. England would still rule you. She would rule you through her capitalists, through her landlords, through her financiers, through the whole array of commercial and individualist institutions she has planted in this country and watered with the tears of our mothers and the blood of our martyrs... Nationalism without Socialism - without a reorganization of society on the basis of a broader and more developed form of that common property which underlay the social structure of Ancient Erin - is only national recreancy." --- James Connolly. Signatory to the Proclamation of The Provisional Government of the Irish Republic. Easter 1916. Commandant-General, Dublin Division, Army of the Irish Republic.

Yes, there can be "peace in our time" in Ireland. But let's make it a rational peace. G21 suspects that after the cameras go away this time, there will be a rapid return to "Situation Normal: All Fouled Up." --- Rod Amis

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