ACCORDING to some Workers' Party sources more than half the membership of the party in the North may now have broken away from the leadership, one of the last left wing organisations to adhere to the practice of democratic centralism since the collapse of communism.
The party general secretary, Mr Pat Querny, denied there was any split in the party. Asked about the reports, he said: "You can't substantiate these allegations. I don't believe there is any truth or substance to these people who claim to be members of the Workers Party." The WP in the North remained largely loyal to the leadership after the group which became Democratic Left broke away in 1992.
However, internal documents show that a section of the membership is now at variance with the leadership.
There are also reports from sources in the party that the North split is being accompanied by threats and intimidation of dissident members.
Dissent in the party is also being driven by the fact that while the party machine controls a lucrative business involving the running of four drinking clubs and three public houses as well as a building company, its electoral support has slipped to negligible proportions.
According to long serving members in Belfast, one dissident member was beaten up outside his business in the city centre. There were threats, the sources say, that dissidents would be "put in the ground".
Rumours have also been spread throughout Catholic areas of Belfast that the dissident elements have established links with the Provisional IRA and with the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the political wing of the Irish National Liberation Army.
These claims were also passed on to the RUC and loyalist paramilitary organisations. Loyalist sources in Belfast confirmed they were told about these allegations.
However, the loyalists made their own investigations and satisfied themselves that it was unlikely that the dissident WP members had Provisional IRA or INLA links.
One of the dissidents was, however, arrested by the RUC, and the home of another was raided by the PLC Special Branch. No charges were brought against either.
There have also been other accusations that dissent in the party has been fomented by the CIA and MI5, according to one the dissenting members.
The dissent in Belfast emerged at the ard fheis in Dublin last October. In response to pressure from the floor the party leadership appeared to agree to hold a meeting in the North to allow the dissent to be aired.
However, this did not take place despite support from the membership in Newry, traditionally one of the party's strongest areas of support outside Belfast.
At the end of last year the dissenting Newry members began a campaign for what it described as "democracy and recruitment in the Workers' Party".
On January 2nd the entire Newry branch was expelled. In a letter to the branch the party leadership said the Newry members had refused to convene an annual general meeting to be attended by the party president and general secretary.
It added: "As this is in clear breach of the party rules and constitution the Newry branch of the Workers' Party is to be stood down forthwith. Any person who wishes to rejoin the Workers' Party may do so by applying in writing to the general secretary."
In a letter of reply, the Newry branch protested that it had held an annual general meeting and pointed out that the attendance of the president and general secretary was, "not called for under the constitution". On January 11th, the party's executive political committee in Dublin issued a statement accusing Newry WP members of serious sectarianism, antisocial and anti party activities".
The executive's statement added: "The Workers' Party is a democratic secular socialist party and is therefore totally opposed to any and all actions which promote sectarian attitudes, support terrorism or violence or engage in any former of intimidation.
"The EPC wish the citizens of Newry to know that membership "of the Workers' Party is absolutely conditional on acceptance or our democratic anti sectarian socialist principles. Actions by individuals which are contrary to these principles, in fact, automatically exclude them for the party." It said that "reorganisation" of the Newry branch would be undertaken by the Northern Regional Executive.
The Newry members then circulated a letter to its membership stating: "November 26th ended the month after the ardfheis, the proposed time in which the leadership promised an open meeting would take place. Instead, we have had rigged meetings and accusations.
"People who should know better have called us IRSPs and Provos. Do they really think people believe this? Are they so out of touch with the membership or is there a more sinister motive?
"The last elections results showed how out of touch we were with the electorate. If this present situation is allowed to continue, what will happen at the next elections? We don't profess to have all the answers but between us all we could save the Workers' Party from political suicide."
Party sources in the North say the "final straw" for the members who had remained loyal to the party after the Democratic Left split was the poor performance in the Northern Ireland Forum elections. The party polled only 3,500 votes out of a total electorate of around 1 1/2 million.
In August, WP members in Belfast proposed that a commission be set up to look at the party operations in Northern Ireland.
A motion was proposed by the Oldpark cumann for discussion at last October's ardfheis in Dublin. However, it was not included on the agenda.
A document circulated in Belfast last August stated: "The recent elections results, continuing decline in support and lack of activity generally, make the proposed debate of the party programme irrelevant.
"Unless we accept to undergo change and a deep appraisal of our present position we will continue to remain in the political wilderness."
The North Belfast members proposed a commission of nine members to examine "the lack of internal democracy, the lack of party education, the failure of branches and whole regions to meet regularly, the failure to recruit new members and keep them." It also proposed an investigation of party finances.
According to members in Belfast there is considerable sensitivity over the issue of finances in the party. It is known the party has control of three public houses, two in south Belfast and one in east Belfast. It also has four drinking clubs in west Belfast and is connected to a building company.
Asked for his reaction to the reports Mr Querny said: "I don't know where you are coming from. Maybe I do know. There are a number of people not in the Workers' Party supporting this campaign against the Workers' Party. So, I can't say you are taking their version of events. These people are not in the Workers Party and have no connection with the Workers' Party and have nothing got to do with the Workers Party.
"You can't substantiate the allegation. I don't believe there is any truth or substance to these people who claim to be members of the Workers' Party.
As regards Newry, it is an entirely different situation. We issued a press statement. We did stand down the branch. We reformed the branch and we have a good deal of support from the people of Newry.
"At the Belfast a.g.m. [annual general meeting], John Lowry, chairman of the Belfast region, was returned unopposed supported by every branch in the region. Therefore that would prove that there is no split in the party in Belfast. There are no two sides. There is the Workers' Party and a group of people outside the Workers' Party who are against the Workers' Party and seek to damage the Workers' Party."
According to party sources, the dispute has spread to Dublin and Cork although there is as yet no accurate indication of the extent of the split in the Republic.
One of the two former party secretariat members expelled for supporting the Belfast call for a commission is the long serving member from Blanchardstown, Seamus McDonagh. He confirmed that he had been expelled along with Margaret Smith from Belfast.
Mr McDonagh said he, too, had been accused of sectarianism before being formally expelled three weeks ago. Three members of his branch had resigned in protest at his expulsion.
Mrs Smith is also one of longest serving and most respected members from Belfast.
The divisions in the WP is the latest in a series of splits and disputes that have been a characteristic of what was the 1960s republican movement.
The WP has its origins in the 1970 split in which the Provisional IRA was created. The WP predecessor was Official Sinn Fein whose paramilitary wing, the Official IRA, declared a complete ceasefire in 1972. Official Sinn Fein later became Sinn Fein the Workers Party, then simply the Workers Party. It split again in 1992 when Mr Proinsias De Rossa led a breakaway to form Democratic Left.