UNITED KINGDOM/IRELAND: PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF IRISH BORDER GO TO POLLS TO VOTE ON LANDMARK PEACE DEAL FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

Record ID: 337684

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM/IRELAND: PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF IRISH BORDER GO TO POLLS TO VOTE ON LANDMARK PEACE DEAL FOR NORTHERN IRELAND
  • Date: 22nd May 1998
  • Summary: BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 22, 198) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV POLLING STATION EXTERIOR 0.04 2. SV POLICEMAN OUTSIDE POLLING STATION 0.08 3. PAN PEOPLE WALKING INTO POLLING STATION TO VOTE 0.16 4. SV SECURITY 0.21 5. TILT UP HELICOPTER 0.23 6. SLV'S PEOPLE WALK OUT OF POLLING STATION (2 SHOTS) 0.32 7.
  • Embargoed: 6th June 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM/ DUBLIN, IRISH REPUBLIC
  • City:
  • Country: Irish Republic EUROPE United Kingdom LATIN AMERICA Northern Ireland
  • Reuters ID: LVA7DBRK6QWV9CT6PFELQ1HYKD7L
  • Story Text: People on both sides of the Irish border have voted on an historic but controversial peace agreement designed to end 30 years of feuding between Protestants and Catholics.

    The referendum on Friday (May 22) was the first all-Ireland poll since 1918 and turnout was high in Northern Ireland.

    David Trimble, leader of the Northern Irish Protestants' biggest party, ended his "Yes" campaign in optimistic mood.

    And after voting on Friday he stressed that the vote was one on the future, not the past.

    Politicians have warned that anything less than a strong endorsement from the North could wreck the chances of the peace agreement working properly.

    But the Protestant majority is bitterly divided over the accord.

    Some Protestants fear the deal is too soft on Catholic rebels and believe it could weaken the British province's prized centuries-old ties to Britain.

    Opponents of the deal such as Protestant politician Reverend Ian Paisley have denounced the accord as a sell-out to Catholic nationalists who want a united Ireland, and has predicted "disaster" if Northern Ireland voted "Yes".

    On Friday he predicted that the majority of Unionists would vote "No" to the deal.

    Catholics on both sides of the border will back the agreement overwhelmingly, surveys suggested.

    Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said the referendum represented the beginning of a new process.Changes had to be worked for, and Sinn Fein would pursue the struggle until freedom, justice and equality had been achieved, despite the opposition of reactionaries opposed to the deal.

    The peace agreement promises a new 108-seat elected assembly for Northern Ireland, including Catholics and Protestants.It would be the biggest political change on the island since Britain partitioned it in 1921.

    The British province's 1.18 million voters must answer "Yes" or "No" to one question on the peace deal, negotiated last month by both the Irish and British governments and eight political parties.

    In the Irish Republic, 2.75 million electors were deciding whether to endorse the deal and drop their long-standing constitutional claim to sovereignty over Northern Ireland.

    Responding to reports that people in Northern Ireland were voting early in large numbers, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said he was pleased and that it was the voters' responsibility to keep what he called their "appointment with history".

    Results were expected on Saturday afternoon.
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