91.   Rendering the four-party coalition powerless would decrease the risk that its major Protestant party, the Ulster Unionists, would collapse the Cabinet outright by resigning.

92.   Pro-British Protestant parties have been unwilling to yield the chair to former U.S. Sen George Mitchell, who has the support of the governments of both Britain and Ireland.

93.   Protestant parties had refused to meet Sinn Fein, while the IRA rejected British demands for a token gesture on disarmament.

94.   Protestant parties refused to meet Sinn Fein leaders throughout that first cease-fire, while the IRA rejected British demands for a start on disarmament.

95.   Representatives of two other Protestant parties stormed out of the hall in protest at the deal.

96.   Some senior Ulster Unionists argued for an unambiguous withdrawal, as two hard-line Protestant parties already have done.

97.   Sinn Fein privately hopes they will do the larger Protestant parties damage.

98.   Spring had also hoped to visit the headquarters of a working-class Protestant party that represents an outlawed paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force.

99.   Still, their lead over Protestant parties against the peace deal looked uncomfortably narrow.

100.   Sinn Fein was admitted last month because of the IRA truce, but two harder-line Protestant parties have withdrawn and criticized Trimble for keeping his party involved.