The senior Loyalist Volunteer Force prisoner in the Maze has said that the organisation's war is over.
Speaking yesterday afternoon Billy King, the "officer commanding" LVF prisoners in the prison, rejected allegations by some politicians that last weekend's announcement by the group was a ploy to secure the early release of all its prisoners.
"The ceasefire is unequivocal. It is complete. The war is over," King said. "The LVF called the ceasefire of May 15th in response to the wishes of the electorate. This decision was endorsed at the subsequent referendum."
"The ceasefire was not an overnight thing," said King. "Just consider the conditions and restrictions which had been imposed on the LVF prisoners throughout 1998." At present all LVF prisoners are subject to a daily 23-hour lock-up procedure.
"They have restricted washing and toilet facilities and are required to eat all meals within the confines of their cells. This has been ongoing since March this year when a fellow LVF prisoner was found dead in his cell."
The argument that the ceasefire was tactical was dismissed as nonsense by the prisoners' spokesman, who said: "Only two LVF prisoners stand to benefit from the releases, which will take place shortly should we qualify. The remainder will have to wait until May 2000 to benefit from the early-release scheme.
"We, the LVF prisoners, reaffirm our commitment to the content of the statement from the Ruling Army Council of the LVF as given to the Northern Ireland Office last Friday that our war is over," the statement continued.
"We now request that the Secretary of State publicly recognises this fact and gives the LVF prisoners in the Maze the same parity of esteem as she currently gives to the other organisations on ceasefire."