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Northern Ireland: UUP ministers vow to quit in IRA scare

Unionists claim McGuigan killing shows Provos remain active

ULSTER Unionist Party (UUP) ministers threatened to resign from Northern Ireland’s power-sharing executive yesterday over claims that the Provisional IRA is still active.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and largest Stormont party the DUP have both claimed that the IRA was behind the killing of dissident republican Kevin McGuigan two weeks ago.

The claims were based on speculation that Mr McGuigan was responsible for the shooting of former IRA commander Gerard “Jock” Davison three months ago.

A number of other former IRA members have been arrested over Mr McGuigan’s killing, while last week the PSNI released an “assessment” that the IRA had reactivated.

Ireland’s Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has ordered a “fresh assessment” of the activities of the Provisional IRA by the gardai.

The UUP executive is set to meet on Saturday to endorse the party leadership’s decision to quit the Stormont government.

Party leader Mike Nesbitt said: “That decision is to withdraw from the Northern Ireland Executive, to form an opposition and offer people an alternative, as is the way in any proper democracy.

“We are in a bad place but this can be fixed.

“But the IRA need to go away and stop terrorising their own communities.”Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness accused the UUP of playing party politics.

He said on Twitter: “This decision by the UUP is more about inter-unionist rivalry than their and others feigned concern about our unequivocal commitment to peace.”

And Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said the IRA had “gone away.”

Communists and trade unionists also criticised the stunt by the UUP.

Communist Party of Ireland chair Lynda Walker said: “We are not surprised at the overreaction of unionist politicians who are adept at using every opportunity to try to exclude republicans from Stormont, proving once again that their commitment to the Belfast agreement is shallow.”

Unite Belfast Shorts branch secretary Joe Bowers added: “The UUP is acting in a childish way and probably trying to put electoral pressure on the DUP to seek political advantage.”

He recalled that the UUP formed the Ulster Volunteer Force, which is still active.

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