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92 北爱尔兰新教领袖即将辞职
Northern Ireland's Protestant Leader Stepping Down
Laurie Kassman
London
30 Jun 2001 15:43 UTC
Northern Ireland's Protestant head of the power-sharing government is expected to resign on Sunday over a 1)dispute concerning the 2)disarmament of the Irish Republican Army. He has already asked a trusted ally to take over his duties as a 3)caretaker.
First Minister David Trimble is already planning the caretaker administration to replace him on Sunday, when he is expected to resign. Trade and Industry Minister Reg Empy has told reporters in Belfast he has been appointed to take over Mr. Trimble's duties during a six-week 4)grace period.
Mr. Empy, from Mr. Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party, is a close ally of the moderate Protestant leader.
The peace process also requires Mr. Trimble's deputy moderate Catholic politician Seamus Mallon to leave his post. A six-week cooling-off period follows the resignations, before new elections have to be organized.
That could give the British and Irish prime ministers time to 5)head off the total 6)collapse of Northern Ireland's peace government. The leaders already have scheduled more talks next week with political leaders involved in the peace process.
Mr. Trimble threatened to resign several weeks ago, after 7)complaining the Irish Republican Army had not fulfilled its commitment to disarm.
The IRA had issued a statement saying it was cooperating with disarmament 8)inspectors to show they had 9)locked up their weapons and put them beyond use. Mr. Trimble insists that is too little, too late.
Mr. Trimble had threatened to resign last year when the IRA missed the first disarmament deadline as outlined in the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. The British government 10)suspended home rule just before that deadline to avoid the collapse of the peace process.
London may still opt for that path if the latest crisis is not resolved in the next six weeks.
(1) dispute[dI5spju:t]v.争论,抗拒, 阻止n.争论, 辩论
(2) disarmament[dIs5B:mEmEnt]n.裁军
(3) caretaker[5keEteIkE(r)]n.管理者, 看管者, 看守者
(4) grace period n.(行动、责任等的)宽限期
(5) head off v.阻止, 拦截
(6) collapse[kE5lAps]n.倒塌, 崩溃, 失败vi.倒塌, 崩溃, 瓦解
(7) complain[kEm5pleIn]v.抱怨, 悲叹, 控诉
(8) inspector[In5spektE(r)]n.检查员, 巡视员
(9) lock up v.锁上
(10) suspended adj.1.暂停的，缓期的（宣判）
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