Protestant Leader David Trimble Resigns in Ireland

June 30 -- Protestant leader David Trimbleresigned today as Northern Ireland's First Minister,plunging the British province into a political vacuum andthreatening a hard-won peace deal with minority Roman Catholics.

In the hours leading up to Trimble's midnight resignation,there were minor clashes between the two sides as the Protestant"marching season," an annual flashpoint for trouble, started inBelfast.

"As of midnight, David Trimble ceased to be First Ministerof Northern Ireland's power-sharing government," a NorthernIreland Office spokesman told Reuters.

Trimble, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize winner with Catholicleader John Hume for their part in the 1998 Good Friday peaceaccord, precipitated the crisis by submitting a post-datedresignation letter several weeks ago in protest at the IrishRepublican Army's (IRA) refusal to disarm as part of the deal.

Trimble, who was in France when the resignation came intoeffect at midnight, appointed Trade Minister Reg Empey, a memberof his Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), to take over his duties.

Trimble was attending a commemoration of the First World WarBattle of the Somme, in which many soldiers from NorthernIreland died.

Under the landmark Good Friday agreement, the power-sharinggovernment of Catholics and Protestants that Trimble had headedwill have a six-week "breathing space," either to re-installTrimble or replace him, before the Northern Irish assembly andexecutive are suspended.

If such steps fail, Britain can call new provincialelections or re-impose direct rule from London.

Impending Violence?

As Trimble left the province, police and British troopsmounted a strong presence to head off trouble during a parade bythe Protestant Orange Order institution.

There were only minor scuffles between police and residentsas a concrete and steel barrier was put up by security forces toseal off the Catholic enclave ahead of the march.

Police said the march, part of parades over the next monthcelebrating victories going back centuries by Protestants overCatholics, went ahead without incident.