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| UUP to make 'significant' Northern Ireland powersharing announcement | UUP to make 'significant' Northern Ireland powersharing announcement |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| One of the five parties in Northern Ireland’s powersharing executive – the Ulster Unionist party (UUP) – is to make a “significant announcement” on Wednesday regarding its continued participation in the devolved government in Belfast. | One of the five parties in Northern Ireland’s powersharing executive – the Ulster Unionist party (UUP) – is to make a “significant announcement” on Wednesday regarding its continued participation in the devolved government in Belfast. |
| Members of the UK parliament, the Northern Ireland assembly and party councillors are meeting in Belfast to vote on a proposal about the UUP’s future inside the devolved administration. | Members of the UK parliament, the Northern Ireland assembly and party councillors are meeting in Belfast to vote on a proposal about the UUP’s future inside the devolved administration. |
| The emergency meeting was prompted by the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) assessment over the weekend that members of the Provisional IRA (PIRA) carried out the murder of ex-republican prisoner Kevin McGuigan earlier this month. | The emergency meeting was prompted by the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) assessment over the weekend that members of the Provisional IRA (PIRA) carried out the murder of ex-republican prisoner Kevin McGuigan earlier this month. |
| Related: PSNI: Provisional IRA leadership did not sanction Kevin McGuigan murder | Related: PSNI: Provisional IRA leadership did not sanction Kevin McGuigan murder |
| Unionists have warned that evidence of continued PIRA activities including murder would mark a breach of key moves to restore devolution back in 2005. They point to an IRA statement in 2005 that the organisation was disbanding as a military force – a key demand from unionist parties before they would go into regional government with Sinn Féin. | |
| The Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, said on Sunday that the PIRA “had gone away” while party colleagues have claimed that the current crisis over the McGuigan murder was being exploited for political gain by opponents north and south of the Irish border. | The Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, said on Sunday that the PIRA “had gone away” while party colleagues have claimed that the current crisis over the McGuigan murder was being exploited for political gain by opponents north and south of the Irish border. |
| If the UUP were to leave the executive in protest over claims that the PIRA still exists in some form and is active, then this would pile enormous pressure on the largest unionist party, the DUP, to either try to expel Sinn Féin from the coalition or, as is more likely, force the party to pull down the regional government. | If the UUP were to leave the executive in protest over claims that the PIRA still exists in some form and is active, then this would pile enormous pressure on the largest unionist party, the DUP, to either try to expel Sinn Féin from the coalition or, as is more likely, force the party to pull down the regional government. |
| UUP leader and former television presenter Mike Nesbitt is to make the announcement at a press conference at about 12.30pm. | UUP leader and former television presenter Mike Nesbitt is to make the announcement at a press conference at about 12.30pm. |