DUP 'to blame if McGuinness becomes next First Minister'
SIR Reg Empey is scathing about DUP changes negotiated to the Good Friday Agreement in the St Andrews talks, which he says could see Martin McGuinness installed as First Minister.
In his interview with the News Letter, the Ulster Unionist leader said: "The DUP connived with the legislation that Hain brought in after St Andrews that created this nightmare of the First and Deputy First Ministers because under the Belfast Agreement arrangements, you had to have an agreed motion on the First and Deputy First Ministers by the Assembly. The DUP, because Paisley didn't want to put his hand up for Martin McGuinness, or for the SDLP for that matter, decided to change that because it would have been embarrassing for them.
"They came up with the designation route which meant that the largest (party) designation would determine who the First Minister was.
"They thought that would leave them in the position that they could automatically just be elected without having a joint vote.
"Then the Shinners spotted the obvious flaw in that and persuaded Hain, with acquiescence from the DUP, to move to the largest party.
"That happened in November, and I know that Sylvia Hermon had amendments to propose in the debate on that but the DUP talked her out and she couldn't get moving them."
Sir Reg said that meant Sinn Fein suddenly had a "fight they had a reasonable prospect of winning" in a "sectarian headcount" because there was no longer a quasi-veto from either side of the Assembly on who got the top positions.
"But the DUP thought that by playing the 'top the poll' card it would suppress us – which it did because in the last week of the Assembly elections that line was played very hard and did have an impact.
"Now they have been hoist by their own petard because they have tried that tactic again and it's backfired. I think it's going to look very hollow in any future election.
"Basically, through messing around with the Agreement, they have created a huge problem down the line for unionists and all because they hadn't the guts to stick their hands up for Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister."
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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