Blair Pledges to Enforce Key Aspects of Northern Ireland Peace Accord

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, seeking to win over wavering Protestant voters, has pledged to enforce the most contentious aspects of Northern Ireland's peace accord. The accord, set to be voted on in a referendum scheduled for April 10, would establish a new multiparty government for British-ruled Northern Ireland. However, pro-British Protestants are nearly evenly split on the deal, largely due to concerns over the release of Irish Republican Army prisoners by mid-2000 and the inclusion of the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party in the new Belfast administration.

Key Takeaways:

Blair has pledged to enforce the exclusion of those who use or threaten violence from the government of Northern Ireland.
Prisoners, including those from the Irish Republican Army, will be kept in prison unless they give up violence for good.
Sinn Fein and representatives of the two major pro-British paramilitary gangs must give full cooperation to an international commission charged with disarming the outlawed groups by mid-2000.
Blair's goal is to achieve the biggest possible majority for the accord in the April 10 referendum.
The majority of voters in Northern Ireland are still undecided on the accord, according to opinion polls.
Three opinion polls this week measured voters' intentions as roughly 50% 'yes', 20% 'no', 25% unsure, and about 5% unwilling to vote.

Statistics:

Over 1,800 people have been killed by the Irish Republican Army over the years.
The outlawed Ulster Defense Association and Ulster Volunteer Force are responsible for killing more than 800 Catholic civilians.
The Irish Republican Army has a July 1997 truce, which Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams believes should be sufficient for his party to participate in the new government.
Blair has made his third and final visit to Northern Ireland in an attempt to garner "yes" votes for the referendum.

Sources:

Associated Press - Belfast, Northern Ireland