Ulster Unionist Manifesto
Ulster Unionist Manifesto
Ulster Unionists have been calling for an elected body in the Province for a long time now. It is over 10 years since the last elected forum existed here, and it is vital to re-establish the principle that it is the ballot box that rules the political process and not the armalite. The electorate has so far been excluded from taking decisions on our future, and the UUP believes the time has come to change all that.
THE FORUM AND THE TALKS
The Forum
We are electing a Forum of 110 Members, from which will be drawn the negotiating teams of the different Parties.
The Forum will, for the first time, allow people to have a stake in and ownership of the 'peace process'. Representations can be made to this body by groups and organisations who have deep roots in our community. The Forum will be a place where elected representatives can debate all the relevant issues of the day. It can also take evidence on issues relevant to the Talks, and be able to assist the negotiating process when requested to do so, by acting as a sounding board for ideas.
Ulster Unionists are putting forward a strong and capable team of candidates who will constructively participate in the arduous process of building a lasting peace for all, within the Union.
The Talks
Ulster Unionists intend being present on 10th June when the talks commence.
We will be going there with the intention of talking to other parties who are fully committed to pursuing their objectives by exclusively peaceful means.
This intent will be demonstrated by all the parties concerned, who give a total and absolute commitment to the principles of democracy and non violence as stated in the Mitchell Report. Such commitments go beyond merely restoring an ambiguous cease-fire, because for these commitments to be credible, the parties concerned will have to act in accordance with them.
Any party which does not make and honour these commitments therefore excludes itself, and the talks should proceed without them.
Our aim will be to promote the Union as the best structure within which our cultural diversity can flourish, and be properly accommodated.
As there is incontrovertible evidence that our economic security and well-being can only be safeguarded within the UK framework, we will firmly resist the introduction of any constitutional instability which would seriously damage our economy.
Ulster Unionists will also be listening to the views and concerns of others, realising that building a future for all of us within the Union will require the broadest possible support and consent.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE METHOD OF ELECTION
The Government has decided, against the wishes of the UUP and others, to use a 'List' system of voting. While we will utilise the system to the best of our ability, we must point out that the effect of this system could be the 'shredding' of the pro-Union vote.
There are over 11 parties seeking support from the pro-Union electorate! For how long does any Unionist believe that this self indulgence can continue without causing irreparable damage to our cause? How can we hope to compete with a vicious and violent SF/IRA when we are so divided?
Ulster Unionists believe that only YOU, the electorate, can bring this sad and sorry state of affairs to an end.
The way to do it is to concentrate your support for David Trimble and the UUP at the ballot on 30th May. This will result in the maximising of Pro-Union representation, and provide our Party with the mandate to strengthen our negotiating position. As Unionists will be divided two and a half times more than Nationalists, common sense dictates that this divisive electoral system must be used with great care. Unlike proportional representation which we use at Local Government elections, there is no provision this time to express different preferences for the various pro-Union parties.
You are able to choose only ONE party, by placing a SINGLE X beside its name on the ballot paper.
It is a matter of profound regret that we are in this position to-day because some Unionists, aided and abetted by Nationalists, allowed themselves to be guided more by personal ambition and less by the need to protect the integrity of the pro-Union vote.
THE BUILDING TEAM FOR FAIR PLAY IN ULSTER
Ulster Unionists wish to see the incorporation into UK law of the European Convention on Human Rights. We are also aware that the treatment of minorities, of which there are many in this society, requires detailed study and debate. We see the examples and procedures set by the Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights as possible role models which could be adapted for use in Northern Ireland.
The UUP attaches great importance to this area of our work, believing that the safeguarding of individual and group rights will be a fundamental building block in any agreement that is likely to command widespread acceptance throughout the community.
ILLEGAL CONSTITUTIONAL CLAIM ON ULSTER
The issue of the Republic's unilateral claim to incorporate the territory of Northern Ireland into an all Ireland State will not go away. To Unionists, articles 2 & 3 of the Irish Constitution represent the unacceptable face of Irish Nationalism. Ulster Unionists are willing to see co-operation between the two jurisdictions on this island, but that can only come about if it is based on mutual respect and recognition. There can be no reward to the Republic for the removal of its unilateral claim.
Where there are disputes or conflict among Nations, resort is made to International Law; (law that governs the relationships among States). This law is found within such international organisations as; United Nations; European Union; Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (formerly CSCE).
All these organisations clearly advocate a fundamental principle of international law, namely that no country should engage in any activity which interferes in 'the sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of States' (Council of Europe -February 1995). It is sad, but true, that the London and Dublin governments stand alone among the governments of Europe, because their actions and words give encouragement to the undermining of internationally accepted borders. No other citizens of any other European country are being asked to forfeit the territorial integrity of their country, as are the greater number in Northern Ireland who wish to remain in the United Kingdom.
The UUP will work hard to create the necessary conditions for this respect and recognition to be fostered and maintained.
The Democratic Deficit
The UUP is conscious of the widespread dissatisfaction with the present administrative structure in the Province. We will be seeking to build a new and accountable democratic system which will ensure that 'faceless bureaucrats' will no longer be able to rule us from behind closed doors.
Ulster Unionist proposals for an administration in Northern Ireland are based on the principle of proportionality; elected representatives will be able to share responsibility at all levels in the structure in proportion to their electoral strength, and together with a wide range of other checks and balances, will ensure fair play for all
Cross frontier relationships
The UUP is aware that some people in the community wish themselves to be in an all Ireland and not United Kingdom context. This we understand, even though we cannot share such emotions. The reality is however, that in national and international law, and by the democratically expressed wishes of its inhabitants, Northern Ireland is a full part of the United Kingdom. The UUP exists primarily to see that this continues to be the freely expressed wish of the greater number of our citizens.
Given a satisfactory outcome to the dispute over the Republic's territorial claim, we can envisage a normal relationship being established with the Irish Republic, which may have mutual economic and social benefits for all of us, at the same time as assisting those who wish to see closer relations with the Irish Republic for wider aspirational reasons.
The issues that are raised by these matters, as well as the territorial claim, go to the heart of the 'consent principle', which must be at the core of any lasting agreement.
CONSENT
Ulster Unionists note that HMG has given assurances that the status of Northern Ireland cannot be altered without the freely given consent of its people. It appears that the Irish Government also pays lip service to this position.
However, while publicly stating one position, Governments are capable of promoting other agendas, and recent history has taught us that both the British and Irish Governments are capable of gross deception on such matters.
We acknowledge that if the consent of the greater number is required before any change can take place, then there is a responsibility on the part of those whose aspirations are realised, to ensure that there are no obstacles in the way of anybody who, by peaceful and democratic means, wants to put contrary views before the people.
Ulster Unionists will be doing all we can to achieve the maximum consensus on the means by which we conduct our own affairs in Northern Ireland, and how we relate to the Irish Republic.
It is in the area of relationships throughout these islands where real and substantial difficulties remain, but must be addressed.
British - Irish relationships
The 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement was introduced without the consent of most of the people affected by it. Its provisions and meddling, through the 'Maryfield bunker' are no more acceptable to Ulster Unionists to-day than they were 11 years ago. We shall be seeking an alternative to and replacement of this Diktat in the Talks.
The Agreement concentrates exclusively on Northern Ireland, and fails to look at the wider relationships throughout these islands.
Ulster Unionists wish to see a broader agreement, one which looks at the geographical region as a whole.
The natural social and economic unit is the British Isles. The human and organisational inter-relationships on the East/West axis between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom and also between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain are greater in relative and absolute terms than the North/South inter-relationships between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
It is right that these wider relationships should be recognised; that a genuinely British-Irish Agreement should replace the flawed Anglo-Irish one. This would provide a framework within which there could be accommodated an appropriate cross frontier relationship, based on pragmatic considerations of mutual benefit and not on a political agenda; this relationship would not pose a threat to either jurisdiction and would, unlike the present arrangements, correspond to real needs and enjoy real support.
SUMMARY
Ulster Unionists are approaching the elections to the Forum and the subsequent Talks in a constructive frame of mind, anxious to build a stable future for all our people within the Union.
We are ready to vigorously advance and promote the Unionist position, but are also prepared to listen to the views of others, democratically expressed.
The UUP believes these elections to be very important, and it is necessary for all pro-Union supporters not to participate in the 'shredding' of the unionist vote which the list system of voting encourages.
We therefore urge a large turn-out at the polls to ensure that the world can see that Sinn Fein/IRA does not speak for the people of Ulster. We point out that if pro-Union supporters do not exercise their right to vote, the percentage of the poll gained by Republicans will be artificially enlarged. All unionists can help to reverse this trend by voting Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) X on 30th May.
Even though this will not be the first or the last chance we will have to bring peace and stability to our country we believe that it is the best chance ever. As Unionists we must stand behind David Trimble and seize this historic opportunity to build a prosperous future for everyone within the Union.
