Page 8 - AT

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 25 OctOber 2019
UK's Johnson seeks Dec 12 election to break Brexit impasse

By JILL LAWLESS France say President Em-
Associated Press manuel Macron is pushing
LONDON (AP) — British for a shorter extension than
Prime Minister Boris John- the three months that Brit-
son has finally abandoned ain has asked for.
his promise of an October Johnson has vowed that,
Brexit and pinned his hopes sooner or later, the U.K.
on a December election. will leave the EU on the
Two days after lawmakers terms of the deal he ne-
stymied Johnson's latest gotiated with the bloc. He
attempt to pass his Euro- said the Dec. 12 election
pean Union divorce deal, date would give lawmak-
he said Thursday that the ers more time to scrutinize
only way to break Britain's his bill, because Parliament
Brexit impasse was a gen- would be in session until the
eral election. Johnson said formal campaign started
he would ask lawmakers to on Nov. 6. If lawmakers re-
vote Monday on a motion fuse to approve his deal,
calling a national poll for Johnson hopes an election
Dec. 12. will deliver a majority for
To hold an election John- his Conservative Party, en-
son must win a vote — by abling him more easily to
a two-thirds majority — deliver on his plans.
among lawmakers, who Meanwhile, U.K. police and
have already dealt him a politicians have sounded
series of setbacks and de- Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street, on his way to parliament in London, alarms about what could
railed his promise to take Thursday October 24, 2019. happen in Northern Ireland
Britain out of the EU on the Associated Press under Johnson's proposed
scheduled date of Oct. 31 tinize the legislation. Brit- The main opposition La- "morally incredible" if oppo- Brexit deal, with the region's
"come what may." ain's next scheduled elec- bour Party said Wednesday sition lawmakers blocked police chief warning that
The most recent blow came tion is in 2022. To secure it will "support a general an election. "It is time, a badly handled divorce
Tuesday, when lawmakers an early election, Johnson election when the threat frankly, for this Parliament from the European Union
blocked Johnson's attempt needs either to win a vote of a no-deal crash-out is off to make way for a new, could bring violence back
to fast-track an EU divorce in Parliament, or lose a no- the table." It had no imme- fresh Parliament that can onto the streets.
bill through Parliament in a confidence vote, which so diate response to Johnson's deliver on the priorities of Police have long warned
matter of days, saying they far opposition parties have statement on Thursday. the British people," he said. that if Britain's depar-
needed more time to scru- refused to call. Johnson said it would be An election can only be ture from the EU imposes
held if the EU agrees to a hard border between
postpone the U.K.'s de- the U.K.'s Northern Ireland
parture to prevent a cha- and EU member Ireland,
otic no-deal exit. Johnson that could embolden Irish
grudgingly asked for a de- Republican Army splinter
lay until Jan. 31 on the or- groups who are opposed
ders of Britain's Parliament, to Northern Ireland's peace
which wants to avert the process and power-sharing
economic damage that government.
could come from a no- Police Service of Northern
deal exit. Though the bloc Ireland Chief Constable
has not yet given its an- Simon Byrne told the BBC
swer, Johnson said it looked that there also was poten-
like the EU would grant the tial for unrest among North-
delay. "I'm afraid it looks as ern Ireland's pro-British loy-
though our EU friends are alist community. He said,
going to respond to Parlia- depending on how Brexit
ment's request by having unfolded, there could be
an extension, which I really "a lot of emotion in loyalist
don't want at all," he said. communities and the po-
European Council Presi- tential for civil disorder."
dent Donald Tusk has rec- "There are a small number
ommended that the other of people in both the loyal-
27 EU nations grant Britain ist and nationalist commu-
a delay, yet many of the nities that are motivated
bloc's members are weary by their own ideology and
and frustrated at Britain's in- that have the potential to
terminable Brexit melodra- bring violence back onto
ma. But they also want to the streets," he said.
avoid the economic pain The all-but invisible Irish bor-
that would come to both der now underpins both the
sides from a sudden and regional economy and the
disruptive British exit. peace process that ended
So they are likely to agree, decades of violence in
although politicians in Northern Ireland.q