Trimble wins in Ulster.Byline: The Register-Guard Last week's victory by David Trimble, Northern Ireland's most prominent Protestant politician, over a conservative challenger offers some hope that the province's peace process will be revived and the coalition Protestant-Catholic government can be reconstituted. Trimble won re-election as leader of the Ulster Unionists - Ulster's largest Protestant political party - over Jeffrey Donaldson Jeffrey Mark Donaldson (born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish politician and Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley. He is best known for his opposition to Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader David Trimble during the Northern Ireland peace process, especially from 1998 to 2003. , whose hard-line stand against power-sharing with the Catholics has caused deep rifts within the party. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, Donaldson now threatens to leave the Ulster Unionists and start his own party, perhaps in an alliance with the far-far rightwinger, the Rev. Ian Paisley
Illustrating the deep divisions within the Ulster Unionists, Trimble's victory over Donaldson was only by 54 percent to 46 percent. While both Unionists parties want to keep Northern Ireland Northern Ireland: see Ireland, Northern. Northern Ireland Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland occupying the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. Area: 5,461 sq mi (14,144 sq km). Population (2001): 1,685,267. within the United Kingdom - the Catholics want Ulster to reunite with the Irish Republic to the south - Trimble and his side have been willing to join in the peace process and participate in the coalition government with Sinn Fein, the political arm of the Irish Republican Army Irish Republican Army (IRA), nationalist organization devoted to the integration of Ireland as a complete and independent unit. Organized by Michael Collins from remnants of rebel units dispersed after the Easter Rebellion in 1916 (see Ireland), it was composed of , the main Catholic force in Northern Ireland. The coalition government, which Trimble headed, was suspended last October by British Prime Minister Tony Blair because of allegations of spying by Sinn Fein. Another ongoing problem is the IRA's slowness - or outright refusal - to proceed with disarming, which is a key element in the peace process. Northern Ireland's 30-year long internal strife continues outside the political arena as well, as outlaw groups on both sides threaten or actually carry out terrorist attacks. That must stop, but it will take pressure from both Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists to achieve that result - if it is in fact achievable. The peace process and the coalition government must go forward if beautiful but troubled Northern Ireland is to find the peace it so richly deserves. |
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