Ian Paisley Jr.,
son of the Protestant evangelist who leads Northern
Ireland's power-sharing administration, resigned Monday from
the coalition amid allegations of ethical failures.
Paisley Jr., 41,
became the first minister to quit Northern Ireland's
nine-month-old administration, which brings together leaders
of the British Protestant majority and Irish Catholic
minority.
The resignation
was welcomed by politicians from both sides of the house
-- and even from his own Democratic Unionist Party.
Paisley Jr. has
denied allegations that he lobbied the British government
on behalf of a property developer, but said Monday he was
quitting the government to relieve pressure on his
party and his father.
''I can't express
strongly enough that I am not going because of some
hidden or some revealed wrongdoing on my part,'' he said.
Paisley Jr. had
denied being friends with the property developer, who was
seeking to build a tourism center at the Giant's Causeway
coastal scenic attraction, but then acknowledged he
had bought a house from the businessman.
Last month, a
political rival published a letter from a British
government minister that indicated Paisley Jr. had sought
preferential treatment for the developer at least six
times.
In government,
Paisley Jr. had served as a junior minister promoting
equality issues. He angered many by criticizing gays and
lesbians as repulsive, a position he insisted was not
at odds with his job.
Paisley Sr., 82,
for decades was the most divisive figure in Northern
Ireland politics. Founder of a hard-line political party and
virulently anti-Catholic, Paisley spent most of his
career opposing compromise with Catholics -- then last
year stunned the community by agreeing to share power
with Sinn Fein, political allies of the outlawed Irish
Republican Army. (Shawn Pogatchnik, AP)
