BRENDAN Behan said the first item on any IRA agenda was "the split". Now the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party is considering following that republican tradition - but for strategic reasons.
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, yesterday indicated his party was earnestly considering whether to split into "three parties" in order to maximise its number of seats on the proposed elected forum.
An unholy trinity of DUP-ers is how the loyalist Ulster Democratic Party and the Progressive Unionist Party would be likely to view such an eventuality. The Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, is also unimpressed with the suggestion, which he views as mischief making.
The novel stratagem was disclosed by Mr Robinson yesterday. By splitting into three parties, the DUP could exploit the "top up" system specifically designed by the British government to aid the UDP and the PUP.
Should these parties fail to win any of the 90 seats, they could gain admission to the forum through the "top up" device. Under this system the votes in all 18 constituencies will be aggregated and the 10 most successful parties will secure an additional two seats each, creating an elected body of 110 members.
It was expected the PUP and UDP would figure in this Top 10 chart of parties, somewhere in the last four positions, thus guaranteeing them two seats each. But should Dr Paisley's party strategically divide into three, the chances of these loyalist parties ending in the Top 10 would become more tricky.
Such a strategy, if allowed, would almost certainly ensure that the DUP, based on previous polls, would take three of the positions on the Top 10, thus granting it six additional seats, rather than an additional two seats.
Mr Robinson also suggested the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) could engage in a similar strategy, if it so wished.
A UUP spokesman confirmed that under its peculiar constitution, the party's 18 Westminster constituency organisations operate "semi autonomously" under the auspices of the Ulster Unionist Council. The UUP, however, had not decided on its election strategy, he added.
The party is to meet shortly to discuss electoral tactics and Mr Robinson's proposal is likely to feature on that agenda.
The legal terms of reference for the election have yet to be introduced by the British government. Mr Robinson, however, was confident it would be very difficult for the British government to devise legislation blocking the DUP's idea.
Sir Patrick Mayhew was not enamoured of the proposal. Asked at Hillsborough for his response, yesterday he intoned: "I have always enjoyed the Ulster sense of humour.
