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UDA arms deadline 'hypocritical' Dodds' attack is 'out of touch'
(about 8 hours later)
DUP Enterprise Minister Nigel Dodds has accused his executive colleague Margaret Ritchie of hypocrisy over her deadline for UDA decommissioning. Nigel Dodds' 'hypocrisy' attack on Margaret Ritchie is out of step with his own party leader and people in Northern Ireland, Mark Durkan has said.
The SDLP minister has said the UDA must start to disarm by 9 October. The SDLP leader said her stand over UDA funding being linked to decommissioning was both "correct and courageous".
If they do not she will cut more than £1m of funding from her department to a project for loyalist areas. "She deserves better from an executive colleague than confused, contradictory backbiting," Mr Durkan said. Mr Dodds said Ms Ritchie's position contrasted with her party's failure to back sanctions against the IRA.
However, Mr Dodds said Ms Ritchie's position contrasts with her party's failure to back sanctions against the IRA when it was engaged in violence.
Mr Dodds was speaking on Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme.Mr Dodds was speaking on Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme.
Meanwhile, the UDA leadership may ask General John de Chastelain to brief the social development minister on talks about the organisation's guns. The social development minister has said the UDA must start to disarm by 9 October.
If they do not she will cut more than £1m of funding from her department to a project for loyalist areas.
Talks
Meanwhile, the UDA leadership has said it may ask General John de Chastelain to brief the social development minister on talks about the organisation's guns.
They want the head of the international decommissioning body to brief Margaret Ritchie and the two governments on the progress of almost two years of talks.They want the head of the international decommissioning body to brief Margaret Ritchie and the two governments on the progress of almost two years of talks.
The UDA and its representatives have been meeting the International Commission on Decommissioning for almost two years now. The last meeting was earlier this month.
They hope a briefing on the talks would convince the minister that the UDA is serious about addressing the issue of guns - and persuade her not to withdraw the funding.They hope a briefing on the talks would convince the minister that the UDA is serious about addressing the issue of guns - and persuade her not to withdraw the funding.
Ms Ritchie met with UDA leader Jackie McDonald and two of its political representatives on Thursday.Ms Ritchie met with UDA leader Jackie McDonald and two of its political representatives on Thursday.