Ford welcomes IMC decision on loyalists

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 21st Jul 2005

Alliance Party Leader, David Ford MLA, has welcomed the announcement that the Independent Monitoring Commission is to investigate the current feud between the UVF and LVF.

David Ford said:

"When Alliance first put the proposals for the introduction of the IMC, we made it clear that there needed to be a body examining the actions of all paramilitary groups. It is clear that at present certain loyalist groups are engaged in significant violence, including murder.

"The IMC has the ability and the status to carry out an impartial investigation. It is important that they should report on the loyalist groups in their next report.

"It is imperative that the democratic process is not tainted by violence, from any quarter."

ENDS