Some 94 per cent of the northern electorate wants to see decommissioning of paramilitary weapons, a survey suggests. The poll, conducted for the Belfast Telegraph/Independent Group showed that 70 per cent of Sinn Fein supporters polled said they believed the IRA should decommission at least some of its weapons.
Some 85 per cent of supporters of political parties linked to loyalist groups agreed that these groups should give up some or all arms. Over four out of five of those in the survey wanted all weapons decommissioned while 12 per cent wanted some. Some 94 per cent of Protestants wanted all weapons given up, for Catholics this figure was 64 per cent, with 21 per cent of them wanting only some to be given up.
Common ground was found between both communities on the issue of the contentious Orange parade at Drumcree. The identical result of 61 per cent of Protestants and Catholics said they would prefer the Orange Order to have some form of parade, but with the agreement of the Garvaghy Residents Coalition.
Some 64 per cent of Protestants and 88 per cent of Catholics, said the Orangemen should engage in dialogue with the residents. One in three people who were asked if they favoured a renegotiation of the agreement without those parties linked to paramilitary groups, was in favour, 41 per cent against and 29 per cent did not know. Only 14 per cent of SDLP and 13 per cent of Sinn Fein supporters favoured renegotiation but 44 per cent of UUP supporters were in favour.
Opinions differed on the dismantling of British army bases. Only 8 per cent of Protestants believed these bases should continue to be dismantled at the moment; for Catholics, it was 61 per cent .