Britain – Northern Ireland: Unionists warn of ‘divisive’ referendum

A referendum on the reunification of the island of Ireland, a possible prospect if the pro-Irish party wins the local elections in Northern Ireland on Thursday, will sow “discord”, warned today the leader of the Democratic Union Party (DUP) Jeffrey N Jeffrey N.

Northern Irish are invited to the polls on Thursday to renew their local assembly. And the vote is already expected to be historic for the British countryside, as opinion polls predict a victory for the Sinn Féin party, whose raison d’être is the reunification of the entire island of Ireland.

The Unionists, who are firmly committed to Northern Ireland’s position within the United Kingdom, have been in power since the founding of the British province in 1921, when the rest of the island was liberated from London rule.

If Sinn Féin wins Thursday, the party – once the political showcase of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) paramilitaries – will lead a government that shares the Unity and pushes for a reunification referendum. island, according to the DUP’s concerns.

“It’s a clear choice” to be made on Thursday, DUP chief Jeffrey Donaldson told AFP.

“It’s one side of the DUP and our plan to address issues that really matter to the world, and of Sinn Fein and its divisive border vote,” Donaldson said.

Thursday’s election will be held after a difficult year for the DUP. In February, Northern Ireland’s First Minister, United Paul Givan, resigned amid his camp’s dissatisfaction with post-Brexit customs regulations, which have been criticized as threatening Northern Ireland’s position in the United Kingdom.

The DUP has since refused to return to government unless changes were made to the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Boris Johnson must “underline the steps he is ready to take to remove the Irish Sea border and restore Northern Ireland’s position in the United Kingdom,” Donaldson said.

SOURCE: AMPE