Further clear divisions emerged within the Labour Party on the NATO bombing campaign in Yugoslavia during a 20-minute discussion at yesterday's parliamentary party meeting.
The first meeting since the public difference between the party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, and the party president, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, on the issue saw up to 10 deputies express widely divergent views on the issue.
Ten days ago Mr Quinn went on radio to say that the bombing should be called off only if Yugoslav forces stopped all military activity. This contrasted sharply with the stated view of Mr De Rossa, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, that NATO should end its campaign unilaterally.
Mr De Rossa and the party's education spokesman, Mr Michael D. Higgins, were among those who questioned the NATO campaign at yesterday's meeting. However, other deputies and senators are understood to have expressed support for the NATO intervention in principle, arguing that the world could no longer be prevented from acting by virtue of a superpower veto, in this case that of Russia.
The discussion was then adjourned as neither Mr Quinn nor the deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin, was present. The issue may be discussed again at next Wednesday's parliamentary party meeting. Discussions will also include motions on neutrality and the prospect of Ireland's joining the NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace programme. An emergency motion on Kosovo is also considered likely.
