Trimble faces two pronged attack

Trimble criticises "attempt to upstage party conference"

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has criticised moves to call another special meeting of his party's ruling council.

He has been facing calls from hardliners in his party to withdraw from the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland, until there is actual arms decommissioning by the IRA.

He is likely to face a policy challenge if a meeting of the 860-member ruling council is called, and this could spell the end of his leadership.

Meanwhile, on Monday morning the assembly is to debate a motion tabled by the anti-agreement Democratic Unionist Party of no confidence in Mr Trimble as first minister.

The motion is unlikely to be passed, as it will not receive the cross-party support it would need from the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party and Sinn Fein.

Ulster Unionist Party honorary secretary Arelene Foster said that the minimum 60 signatures of Ulster Unionist Council members needed to call an extraordinary meeting, had been sent to the party's headquarters in Belfast.

Arlene Foster says signatures have been handed over

Fourteen senior officers will decide if, and when, such a meeting would take place, but it is likely to be within four to six weeks.

However, Mr Trimble has first to face the party at its annual conference this weekend, amid continuing internal strife over the issues of decommissioning and police reforms, and against a backdrop of a parliamentary by-election defeat.

Dissident Ulster Unionist William Thompson said on Thursday that the party could only be united if there was a change of leadership.

Attempt to upstage conference

The West Tyrone MP said David Trimble would not survive if a meeting of his party's ruling council was held.

Hardline Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson has made no secret of his leadership ambitions.

William Thompson says Mr Trimble's days as leader are numbered

However, hardline MP for East Londonderry William Ross said it was "too early to talks about a leadership challenge" and that it was more likely that Mr Trimble's policies, which include working in the assembly executive with Sinn Fein, would be challenged.

>Mr Trimble countered, saying that the request for the UUC meeting was "just an attempt to upstage Saturday's conference".

He said: "At first sight it seems rather similar to [DUP deputy leader] Peter Robinson's no confidence motion.

"We have a party conference on Saturday. We have the opportunity all day for members to debate issues with the grassroots and party activitists and we'll see how people are thinking, and what happens after that."

He added it was "a bit unfortunate that Willie Thompson doesn't consider things more carefully before speaking."

Mandelson support for Trimble

The difficulties within the peace process are to be discussed by Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Irish Premier Bertie Ahern at a meeting planned for Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson stressed Mr Trimble's contribution to it.

Peter Mandelson: Determinedly upbeat

He said the loss of Mr Trimble as party leader would be a "huge blow" for the peace process.

"There is no other unionist other than David Trimble who is likely to be in a position to do business with nationalists and republicans for years to come and that is why I believe, incidentally, that nobody should be complacent about losing David Trimble in this situation."

He refused to set down deadlines on decommissioning, saying it would simply not work.

But Mr Mandelson said unionists and nationalists could be satisfied over issues such as the police service which will replace the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

"I am going to continue to implement the spirit and letter of the Patten Report (on policing)," he said.

"We can satisfy both sides on issues such as the future name. We know the Police Force of Northern Ireland is going to be its name, it is going to be a police force that evolves out of the RUC."

Mr Trimble is urging the government to halt police reforms pending a further move by the IRA on the weapons issue.

But Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said it was vital that the government stood by the planned RUC reform.

He said nationalists were compromising enough by accepting the Patten proposals.

Speaking at a public meeting in County Down on Thursday night Robert McCartney of the UK Unionists accused Mr Trimble of trying to avoid blame for the consequences of the Good Friday Agreement, which he said had been "catastrophic" for the unionist people.

Meanwhile, at a press conference, Deputy First minister Seamus Mallon of the Social Democratic and Labour Party said that any discussion of suspension of the assembly was "very, very premature".