AFTER HIS election as leader of the Official Unionist Party, David Trimble had a visitor from the South who brought advice on how the Unionists should deal with Dublin.
Shortly after, he out out a statement saying the Unioncans elected to a new Northern Ireland Assembly. In other words, bring back Stormont and well talk. Cruise O'Brien, columnist in Heinz boss Ton) O'Reilly's Independent Newspapers and fierce critic of Republicanism. O'Brien's aim was to try to split the alliance between Dublin, the soLe and Washington in which the Republicans have put their trust. It was a clever tactic.
All of the so-called pannationalist alliance accept, to a greater or lesser extent, the Unionist veto and what flows from that, a recognition that there will eventually be a government in the North with some involve- uney will have to do ment from Dublin to safeguard the nationalists. under Fine Gael's John Bruton would happily go along with elections to what would be a Unionist dominated Northern Assembly. except for the difficulty that would cause for other mem bers of the "nationalist family" - Sinn Fein.
Nobody fell for Conor's trick but it shows the weak- Peace Initiative divide on sess of Sues Felas postice which the Republican moveIf Dublin had accepted ment is breaking itself. It Trimble's offer, the Repubreform of the Norther Hans Woooo State is possible: for the Unionists to make the most which taey cannot anora w do, or, openly admit that minimal concession would fatally damage their cause. Ency accept the moalst veto with all that involves They will not concede on the "right" of Orange bigand risk a spit. In the long run, that is precisely what ots to march through Nationalist areas let alone the British provocations over disbandment of the RUC or the "peace process", apart power-sharing on a necessary tol Rather than give legitiMajor's survival, are all to macy to the latest attempt o do with testing the Republi- stabilise the Norther Irecans commitment (and re- land state, Sinn Fein could ducing their expectations seck to moolise against It. still further) in advance of In the past that meant comany negotiations about what ing up against the British will be a new partitionist Army. But there is no milisettlement in Ireland. tary solubon citner.
Mass mobilisations the armed struggle/trish around civil rights or the OUP leader David Trimble prisoners are what forced change on the British in the past and can do so again. even if not in the short term.
The reason Sinn Fein can't do that is that the lead. ership are relying on some of the very forces who favour partition - the Southern ruling class. Conor Cruise O'Brien may be a pompous eccentric but he says what they think.