A majority of people of all political persuasions in Northern Ireland have expressed support for the notion of their political leaders "jumping together", according to a poll in yesterday's Belfast Telegraph.
The concept enjoys the support of 64 per cent of Protestants and 61 per cent of Catholics, although the parties have differing interpretations of exactly how "jumping together" should be achieved.
Broken down by party, the figures showed 73 per cent of Ulster Unionists supporting the proposal, 71 per cent of SDLP voters and 54 per cent of Sinn Fein supporters. Significantly, the concept was also supported by a majority - 51 per cent - of Democratic Unionist supporters, despite the party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, insisting decommissioning should come first. The poll questioned 1,135 people at 44 randomly chosen locations all over the North during the last week in August.
The poll revealed that 63 per cent of the population wanted decommissioning now, though there were divisions between the two communities on the issue.
Asked when the IRA should start to hand over their arms, 87 per cent of Protestants said now, but only 37 per cent of Catholics. That reflected 91 per cent support within the DUP, 90 per cent in Ulster Unionist supporters, 45 per cent of SDLP supporters but only 16 per cent of Sinn Fein backers.
The 63 per cent of the population who want the IRA to begin decommissioning now marks a shift of over 20 per cent since the paper's last poll in February this year, when 84 per cent demanded immediate decommissioning. A further 23 per cent - 10 per cent of Protestants and 37 per cent of Catholics - said decommissioning should take place between now and May 2000.
Loyalist paramilitary groups should start decommissioning their weapons at the same time as the IRA, according to 77 per cent of Protestants and 82 per cent of Catholics.
A total of 42 per cent believe Sinn Fein should be allowed take their seats on the Executive only with the start of decommissioning - 50 per cent of Protestants and 34 per cent of Catholics. Nineteen per cent of Protestants want Sinn Fein permanently excluded from the Executive, while 57 per cent of Sinn Fein supporters want their party included without any prior decommissioning.