There must be immediate election if Executive collapses - Allister
07 December 2009
TUV Leader Jim Allister will tonight tell his Party’s Central Council that there should be an early Assembly election and he will warn against political manoeuvrings to avoid such a poll if the Executive collapses.
In the course of his remarks the TUV Leader will say:-
“We’ve always said mandatory coalition is unworkable. Now, everyone can see it disintegrating before their eyes. It just doesn’t stumble from one crisis to another it multi- tasks in catastrophic bungling. When it comes to shambolic government it has no equal throughout the world. The sooner it is put out of its misery the better.
“If it does fall, then there must be no slights of hand or political machinations to avoid an immediate election; an election which inevitably will lead to fresh negotiations. Such negotiations should be strictly time limited and not become a costly farce. If the changes necessary to give durable and democratic devolution cannot be achieved within period of weeks or months, then the expensive charade should be shut down.
“Given the DUP and NIO’s fear of an election I can well imagine Jesuitical plans to circumvent the current legislative requirement for an election, seeking to allow the existing discredited MLAs time to negotiate without the complicating infusion of a bridgehead of TUV Assembly members. Such would be a fraud and a cheat.
“Knowing the DUP, as I do, the ambition will be to avoid an Assembly election and hardball through negotiations till they get past the Westminster election, and then, as in March 2007, they will do the deal with Sinn Fein and cosy up again in government with unrepentant terrorists. The opportunistic strategy of talking tough till they get through an election and then rolling over is nothing new.
“But whether it is an Assembly election or the Westminster election, TUV will be there to give voice to the tens of thousands of Unionists across this Province, unrepresented in Stormont, who do not buy into terrorist-inclusive government and who demand devolution compatible with British democratic principles and practices, not the hideous perversion of democracy that is unworkable mandatory coalition.”
