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02/10/2002
Unionists say 'no' to deputy mayor post
Unionist representatives at Belfast City Council have once again refused to nominate a deputy to work alongside the city's first republican lord mayor, Alex Maskey.
At the annual meeting of the council last night, unionist members rebuffed moves to put forward a name for a deputy mayor to sit with the Sinn Fein lord mayor.
The issue has now been deferred to next month, but it is considered highly unlikely that unionists will produce a candidate while Mr Maskey holds the mayoralty.
The failure of unionist to share the duties of first citizen has been slammed by Sinn Fein as gloss for the electorate in the run up to next year's assembly poll.
UUP councillor Chris McGimpsey was also mindful of the unionist constituency, saying: "At the moment, we're not ready to take part in a joint venture of this kind, and I don’t think our voters want that either.
"We'll continue to work for all the citizens of Belfast irrespective of the absence of a deputy lord mayor."
Unionist representatives said that they had taken their decision in view of Mr Maskey's pledge not to attend civic events where the British Army and PSNI are also taking part. Some members were also angered by the lord mayor's decision to erect an Irish tricolour in the lord mayor's parlour.
However, the Sinn Fein assembly chief whip has made conciliatory overtures, most notably he travelled to the Somme in Belgium and laid a wreath in memory of Northern Irishmen – serving in the British Army – who died during the First World War.
(GMcG)
At the annual meeting of the council last night, unionist members rebuffed moves to put forward a name for a deputy mayor to sit with the Sinn Fein lord mayor.
The issue has now been deferred to next month, but it is considered highly unlikely that unionists will produce a candidate while Mr Maskey holds the mayoralty.
The failure of unionist to share the duties of first citizen has been slammed by Sinn Fein as gloss for the electorate in the run up to next year's assembly poll.
UUP councillor Chris McGimpsey was also mindful of the unionist constituency, saying: "At the moment, we're not ready to take part in a joint venture of this kind, and I don’t think our voters want that either.
"We'll continue to work for all the citizens of Belfast irrespective of the absence of a deputy lord mayor."
Unionist representatives said that they had taken their decision in view of Mr Maskey's pledge not to attend civic events where the British Army and PSNI are also taking part. Some members were also angered by the lord mayor's decision to erect an Irish tricolour in the lord mayor's parlour.
However, the Sinn Fein assembly chief whip has made conciliatory overtures, most notably he travelled to the Somme in Belgium and laid a wreath in memory of Northern Irishmen – serving in the British Army – who died during the First World War.
(GMcG)
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