TWO leading loyalists, Mr Gary McMichael and Mr David Ervine, have declined to travel to Dublin to accept a peace prize which was also awarded to the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams.
In the absence of the two loyalists, the Cork based organisation, Prayer, Enterprise and Christian Effort (PEACE), yesterday presented the peace award for 1995 the vice president of Sinn Fein, Mr Pat Doherty, who accepted on Mr Adams's behalf.
Mr Cecil Hurwitz of PEACE said he had sought nominations for the award from readers of the national and provincial newspapers.
There were four recipients in 1994 the former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major the US President, Mr Bill Clinton and the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume.
Readers of the national and provincial press dictated that Mr McMichael of the Progressive Unionist Party Mr Ervine of the Ulster Democratic Party and Mr Adams should receive the 1995 award.
He said he received no reply from Mr Ervine, but Mr McMichael told him that it would be inappropriate for him to participate in the ceremony. A journalist in Belfast informed Mr Hurwitz Mr Ervine would not be coming either.
Accepting the award for Mr Adams, Mr Doherty said nobody should be deflected from rebuilding the peace process "by the tragic incidents of last week or the knee jerk reaction of some politicians who for 18 months refused to accept the challenge to actually talk".
He added "Despite the tragic breakdown of the IRA cessation, Sinn Fein remain committed to peace. Our peace strategy is the main function of our party."