Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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_Nation & World_'___ Primary clears court challenge, federal scrutiny by Bruce Smith Associated Press Now that the Justice Department has approved and a federal legal issue has been settled, everything is go for Saturday’s South Carolina Republican primary with party officials predicting a record turnout Two Democrats had challenged the vote, saying GOP plans not to open all voting places, especially in predominantly black districts, violated federal law. But in a federal consent agreement signed Monday, the Republican Party agreed to work to open all state-desig nated polling places, and, if necessary, pay state election workers to staff them. Later, the Justice Department said it had given clearance to the primary, which GOP Chairman Henry McMaster predicted would surpass the GOP presi dential primary record of 276,000. “We think it’s going to be a record, ” he said, adding the party has printed 1 million ballots although “we’re not ex pecting a million voters. ” He did not pro ject a specific figure but said the court case about the primary has brought added attention. “A lot of Democrats will become Re publicans on the 19th. A lot of indepen dents will become Republicans on the 19th,” said McMaster, who added once someone votes Republican, it becomes easier to do the next time. The consent order was approved by a three-judge federal panel. “Wfe asked them to open the precincts and they did and we’re real pleased,” said Jim Fitts, a Williamsburg County activist who, along with Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, filed the complaint under the Federal Voting Rights Act. The U.S. Office of Personnel Man agement said a voting rights examiner would monitor Saturday’s voting in 11 counties. McMaster said the party had about 5,600 volunteers to staff 1,752 polling places. He said about 100 of the usual places were not available because they would be used for other purposes Satur day and the party was looking for other locations. Party officials agreed to seek assis tance from the State Election Commis sion to open all available locations “in cluding the use of state designated poll workers at polling locations” if it could n’t get enough volunteers. Republican Presidential candidate Alan Keyes said about 100 poll workers would be volunteers from iiis campaign. It is unfair to expect the party to open all the polls and not do something to help, he said. The settlement was approved by 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge William Traxler and U.S. District Judges Joe Anderson and Margaret Seymour. “The Republican Party has seen the light. It’s unfortunate Uiey had to be drawn kicking and screaming into federal court to do anytliing,” said Rutherford, who has uiged Democrats to vote in the open pri mary. Their support for a weaker Re publican candidate could help Democ rats in the general election, Rutherford said, a statement provoking a strong re action from Texas Gov. Geoige W. Bush’s campaign. “Those who want to undermine the process of providing a clear alternative to A1 Gore should be exposed for their mischief making,” said Tucker Eskew, a Bush campaign spokesman. Sen. John McCain’s field director Trey Walker said Bush’s campaign was being “amazingly hypocritical” because Bush’s brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, launched a cam paign to enlist Democrats to support Bush. ERA breaks off negotiations with Northern Ireland by Shawn Pogatchnik Associated Press Belfast, Northern Ireland — Stung by Britain’s decision to suspend North ern Ireland’s power-sharing government, the IRA deepened the province’s politi cal crisis today by breaking off negotia tions on disarmament. In a hard-line statement, the Irish Re publican Army accused Britain and the province’s major Protestant party, the Ul ster Unionists, of ignoring its disarma ment proposals. “Both the British government and the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Par ty have rejected the propositions put to the (disarmament commission) by our representative. They obviously have no desire to deal with the issue of arms ex cept on their own terms,” the IRA said. It was the IRA’s failure to disarm that triggered the recent crisis, leading Britain to suspend Northern Ireland’s fledgling Protestant-Catholic government Friday. Hours after the suspension, the IRA suggested it would be prepared to put its weapons stockpiles “beyond use” in certain political circumstances. That shift broke new ground for theJRA, but it fell short of the clear-cut commitments be ing sought by the Ulster Unionists. In its statement today, the IRA said it was withdrawing the offer. The IRA statement exacerbated a political crisis that began when the province’s disarmament com mission reported Jan. 31 that the ERA had not begun giving up its weapons. “I am disappointed at the IRA’s de cision, because I believe this is a time when all channels need to be kept open,” said Britain’s Northern Ireland secretary, Peter Mandelson. The province’s fledg ling local administration took power more than two months ago, ending 28 years of direct rule by Britain. As part of the com promise that created the Protestant Catholic administration, the Ulster Union ists expected the BRA to disarm. When the BRA failed to do so, the Ul ster Unionists threatened to withdraw from the new government. Britain sus pended the government on Friday to pre vent its total collapse. After the IRA’s statement today, an Ulster Unionist leader rejected the accusation that his party was to blame for the deteriorating situation. “The Belfast agreement required the decommissioning of illegal armaments, and the IRA are the people who have failed to honor that agreement,” deputy party leader John Taylor said. Both Britain and Ireland were work ing to turn the process around. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahem, announced today that they would meet Wednesday in hopes of finding a way to restore North ern Ireland’s self-government. In Belfast, Mandelson said earlier to day that it would not be wise to restart the government until the IRA promises to disarm. The IRA called a cease-fire in 1997 after killing about 1,800 people dur ing a 27-year campaign to abolish North ern Ireland as a Protestant-majority state. The outlawed group has never accepted the 1998 Good Friday accord’s expec tation that it should completely disarm by May, along with Protestant paramili tary groups. Hodges from page A5 in the Democrat-controlled Senate to stop a filibuster, bu^expected to build that support. The bill could face an even tougher fight in the Republican-controlled House, which in 1996 rejected then-Gov. David Beasley's efforts to lower the flag. Hodges also would remove the flag from the House and Senate chambers, but preserve the names of streets and pro tect monuments named after Confeder ate War figures. The governor, who continues to or chestrate closed-door negotiations on the issue, said in his State of the State speech last month it was time to lower the flag, but did not come out with a plan of his own until Monday. South Carolina alone flies the Con federate flag above its Statehouse. Crit ics say it was raised in 1962 to defy the civil rights movement and is an inap propriate reminder of slavery. Flag sup porters say it commemorated the Civil Whr’s centennial and symbolizes the state’s heritage. The state is in the national spotlight, not just because of the flag and the tourism boycott, but also because of a hard-fought campaign being waged here in advance of Saturday’s Republican presidential pri mary. “We want to send a signal to the nation and to our children that South Car olinians can come together to do the right thing,” Hodges said. 1 I Spring Break Travel was 1 of 6 small businesses in the US in 1998 to be recognized for outstanding ethics by Council of Better Business Bureaus' Bahamas Party Cruise $279 5 days • Most Meals • Free Parties • Includes Taxes Panama $139 City- Boardwalk. Holiday Inn Sunspree & More Florida $149 7 Nights • Daytona. South Beach. 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