Trimble determined to stay the course

First Minister and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party David Trimble has said that he is determined to stay the course and remain as leader for the forthcoming assembly elections due to be held in May next year.

David Trimble's leadership of the party is once again under pressure after hardline elements from within his party succeeded in collecting the 60 signatures needed to force an emergency meeting of the 860-strong Ulster Unionist Council. The scheduling of that meeting will be decided by party chiefs tomorrow, but it is expected to be held within a couple of weeks.

The anti-agreement faction, championed by Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson, precipitated the meeting in opposition to the party's policy of sitting on the executive with Sinn Fein ministers. Both Jeffrey Donaldson and fellow MP David Burnside have called for the UUP to leave the executive and renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement.

With the party hardliners backing the petition from the wings, Mr Trimble was again left fending off questions on a possible leadership contest following his tour of an east Belfast sectarian flashpoint on Wednesday.

Mr Trimble maintained that he would remain in post. He said: "There are some realities in this situation and I will continue to lead the party into the election next May."

The party leader, though, looks set to run into further difficulties with elements of his party and its membership who remain deeply entrenched on their position over the future of the Good Friday Agreement.

However, Mr Trimble was adamant that he knew what the electorate wanted in the run up to the assembly election campaign. He said people wanted to see democratic accountability and peace.

In a pragmatic mood Mr Trimble said that while there was a "measure of democratic accountability" and there had been "some progress on the peace front" these things could "not be achieved overnight".

Deputy First Minister and leader of the SDLP Mark Durkan said that Mr Trimble should not adopt the tactics of the anti-agreement faction in his party and urged him not to threaten resignation as this would "betray the public interest".

Mr Trimble held talks with the Acting Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn on Wednesday over the continued street violence at interface areas in north and east Belfast.

(SP)