DUP LIVING IN THE PAST CLAIM OVER BOMB VOTE
DUP living in the past claim over bomb vote
By Liz Trainor
The DUP was last night accused of dealing in "old politick" for amending a Belfast city council motion condemning the Omagh bomb to include all atrocities over the past 28 years.
Nationalist councillors abstained from the amended motion because they said It was "time to move on,"
The motion, proposed by Alliance councillor Mervyn Jones, called on Belfast council to condemn the Real IRA bomb attack which killed 28 shoppers in Omagh town centre on August 15.
Councillor Jones said: "There have been many atrocities but few if any have had the effect on the community that Omagh had.
"It was made worse because many believed these atrocities were over forever."
But Sinn Fein and the SDLP abstained from voting after unionists passed an amendment proposed by DUP councillor Sammy Wilson to include the words "mindful of all atrocities over the past 28 years."
Sinn Fein councillor Tom Hartley said: "The original motion caught the sentiment of the council. The DUP is involved in old politick - it is time to move on."
SDLP councillor Martin Morgan said he and his colleagues abstained because in their view the "sub motion was adequate."
"For too long the DUP have labelled and hijacked certain actions against one section of the community," Mr Morgan said.
Mr Wilson failed, however, in a later bid to amend a motion brought by Alliance councillor Tom Ekin condemning all rioting and intimidation sparked by the Drumcree stand-off.
The DUP councillor failed to win backing for the amendment which laid the blame for the rioting with the "partisan political decisions made by the Parades Commission."
By Liz Trainor
The DUP was last night accused of dealing in "old politick" for amending a Belfast city council motion condemning the Omagh bomb to include all atrocities over the past 28 years.
Nationalist councillors abstained from the amended motion because they said It was "time to move on,"
The motion, proposed by Alliance councillor Mervyn Jones, called on Belfast council to condemn the Real IRA bomb attack which killed 28 shoppers in Omagh town centre on August 15.
Councillor Jones said: "There have been many atrocities but few if any have had the effect on the community that Omagh had.
"It was made worse because many believed these atrocities were over forever."
But Sinn Fein and the SDLP abstained from voting after unionists passed an amendment proposed by DUP councillor Sammy Wilson to include the words "mindful of all atrocities over the past 28 years."
Sinn Fein councillor Tom Hartley said: "The original motion caught the sentiment of the council. The DUP is involved in old politick - it is time to move on."
SDLP councillor Martin Morgan said he and his colleagues abstained because in their view the "sub motion was adequate."
"For too long the DUP have labelled and hijacked certain actions against one section of the community," Mr Morgan said.
Mr Wilson failed, however, in a later bid to amend a motion brought by Alliance councillor Tom Ekin condemning all rioting and intimidation sparked by the Drumcree stand-off.
The DUP councillor failed to win backing for the amendment which laid the blame for the rioting with the "partisan political decisions made by the Parades Commission."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0350
Published Date: 02-Sep-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.