| Reports today suggest the Irish government
is ready to
drop the constitutional definition of the Irish national territory as part of an overall agreement on the north. It is said that the planned amendments to the constitution would withdraw the Irish territorial claim to the six northern counties, recognise their position within the "United Kingdom" and incorporate into the constitution a veto for the unionist majority in the six counties -- the so-called "principle of consent". Last night, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, suggested that May 22nd may be the date for the referendum in which the changes would be passed, but that his government was looking for a substantial quid-pro-quo from unionists. Earlier this week, senior British sources were said to have described the planned constitutional changes as "already in the bank". However, they appear not to have considered opposition to the plans from both the Irish electorate and powerful Irish TDs [members of parliament] both inside and outside the governing parties. At Leinster House, the coalition government led by Fianna Fail's Bertie Ahern is entirely dependent on the votes of a handful of independent members -- votes which could be threatened by the proposed changes, as well as those of independently-minded Fianna Fail TDs. Robert Ballagh of the Irish National Congressm which is campaigning to preserve Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution, said today Ahern's government could be threatened by the planned changes. "If the leaks of today are anything to go by, Bertie Ahern is pursuing a politically suicidal mission," he said. "I mean, I have pledges myself personally from several TDs who are presently supporting the government that they wil vote against the government if there are ill-advised alterations." |