Trimble and Durkan elected amid fracas

UUP leader David Trimble and the SDLP's Mark Durkan have been elected as First and Deputy First ministers by the Northern Ireland Assembly amid a fracas at Stormont.

In all 99 members voted after the Assembly consented to allow three Alliance party members (Eileen Bell, David Ford and Seamus Neeson) to re-designate themselves from centre to unionist in an effort to enable the necessary cross community support for the election of Mr Trimble.

Crucially, 31 unionist assembly members backed Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan to fill the posts - representing 51.7 per cent of unionists present.

All 38 nationalists present voted in favour of the motion – representing 100 per cent in favour of the nominations.

However, ugly scenes marred the post-vote press conference in the foyer of Stormont. As First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan made their speeches, a scuffle broke out in the background. This apparently involved anti and pro-agreement factions. There were also jeers hurled at Mr Trimble while he was speaking, calling him “traitor” and “cheat” but the short lived though ugly scene dissolved as security and police moved in.

Speaking on Tuesday after the vote, Mr Trimble said: “I am looking forward to working with Mark Durkan as Deputy First Minister. May I also say particularly to the people of Northern Ireland that we look forward to delivering to you the quality of administration you have every right to expect. We will not allow ourselves to be distracted by the sort of mob violence that certain parties descend to.

Mark Durkan was also equally dismissive of the fracas. He said: “We are faced with a situation today where David Trimble and I and other pro-agreement parties in the Executive and the assembly are determined to provide this region with good government. Other people are prepared to indulge in bad politics. And that’s the difference we are witnessing today.”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the elections and said: “The people of Northern Ireland can now look forward to a sustained period of stable government.”

Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said: “I applaud the efforts of the pro-Agreement parties in coming together in a spirit of co-operation to ensure that the challenge to the Good Friday Agreement was successfully addressed.” (AMcE)