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Article: Suspend the Assembly; Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland, after Trimble.(questions about future of Northern Ireland since prime minister David Trimble resigned)(Leaders)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- July 7, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE peace in Northern Ireland is not yet dead. This is because the IRA and its political front, Sinn Fein, have little to gain by resuming the terrorist war they ceased in 1997. But the resignation of David Trimble as the province's first minister has dealt a potentially mortal blow to the Northern Ireland Assembly the Good Friday Agreement brought into being three years ago. Under the rules for power-sharing, the resignation of the (unionist) first minister deprives Seamus Mallon, his (nationalist) deputy of his job too. Unless some deal can coax back Mr Trimble or a new leader of the Ulster Unionists, the British government will have in six weeks' time either to call new ...