Oliver Napier

Sir Oliver Napier ( born July 11, 1935 in Belfast, † 2 July 2011) was an Irish politician who strove as chairman of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland during the Northern Ireland conflict to a dialogue between Catholics and Protestants, and instrumental in bringing about the but failed after only six months of Sunningdale Agreement was involved.

Life

After visiting the St. Malachy College in Belfast Napier studied law at Queen's University Belfast and joined after graduating as a lawyer in the law firm of his father belonging Napier and Sons Solicitors.

The Catholic was of the view that cooperation with the Protestants was possible and was in 1970 one of the founders of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, which was founded so soon after the beginning of the conflict in Northern Ireland as a non-denominational and regional liberal party in Northern Ireland. Between 1970 and 1972 he was with Bob Cooper jointly chairman of the party.

In 1973, he was eventually sole chairman of the Alliance Party and sought in his permanent tenure until 1984 to open a dialog in the Northern Ireland conflict. This he succeeded, at least briefly when it came to December 9, 1973 Sunningdale Agreement. In the basis of which formed Executive Management (Northern Ireland Executive) under Brian Faulkner as Chief Executive, he became Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Authority for legislative reform (Office of Law Reform ). After an application which refuses to grant Nonpartisan government had failed in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Ulster Workers ' Council called (UWC ) for a general strike from May 15 from. After two weeks of food shortages, riots, roadblocks and intimidation Brian Faulkner resigned as Chief Executive. The Agreement of Sunningdale thus broke on May 28, 1974, Napier, thus losing his government office.

In the UK general election on May 3, 1979 Napier ran for a seat in the lower house (House of Commons ) in the predominantly Protestant East Belfast constituency. However, he lost it with about 1000 votes over the candidate of the Democratic Unionist Party, Peter Robinson, who until February 2010 represented that constituency in the House, and since then First Minister of Northern Ireland.

After the election defeat, he held still while the post of chairman of the Alliance Party, but withdrew in 1984 then retired from politics.

In 1985 he was knighted and led since then the additional name "Sir".