Pro-agreement unionists and republicans still out number anti-agreement paisleyites

antrim | politics / elections | opinion/analysis

Monday December 01, 2003 00:19

by skatitude

Despite Papa-doc paisley's DUP election sucess against the UUP, the fact remains that the numbers of Pro-agreement unionists, republicans and other parties still outnumber the anti-agreement unionists by over 3 to 1. 75% of MLA's elected are Pro-agreement, with only 25% of anti-agreement MLA's elected.

The anti-agreement DUP and 3 (UUP) MLA's still amount to only 25% of an assembly whilst Pro agreement political representatives number 75% of those elected. The Pro-agreement parties consist of the UUP, SF, SDLP, PUP, Alliance Party and Independant MLA's.
The Pro agreement parties have a mandate of 75%, whilst the Anti-Good Friday agreement DUP and 3 UUP members have only a mandate of 25%.
It follows that 75% of the population of ulster catholics and protestants to date, still have good faith and belief in the principles of the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process. The election results are an endorsement of the sucess of Good Friday agreement and peace process.
The british government must take responsibility for contributing to the sucess of the 25% Anti agreement DUP back lash vote, by denying democrasy in the first place, and giving the DUP the excuse and ammunition to cry foul against the UUP/brit government initially. Nobody likes a cheater or to feel that they are being manipulated/railroaded by the brit government into voting for David Trimble. The 25% vote for the Anti-agreement unionists is clearly a paranoid backlash vote, against brit government interference and attempts to stack the election cards in David Trimble's favour. The DUP merely played on increasing protestant paranoia, using ithe initial election cancellation as evidence of brit government underhand unfair favour for David Trimble, and whipping up protestant fears that they were being sold down the swannie by David Trimble and the brit government. None of which is true, but the dirty dealings of the initial brit government election denial, served to instill seeds of dissent in the ordinary prod voter against David Trimble's UUP.
Quite a few protestants voted for Sinn fein, how else could Sinn Fein have been so sucessful in the elections.