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LEAD-IN BY HOST: After much controversy the British Government canceled yesterday's elections in Northern Ireland. Much of the country was in an uproar and demonstrations and protests were held worldwide, including in Houston. Mike Hornes has more: STORY: "It would be tantamount to say Clinton, in his last term, saying that, 'Well you know, I bet those Republicans are going to get in next time' so November 7, the usual election day, but I'm going to go ahead and call it off, until such time as I think the Democrats might win.' That's what it's tantamount to doing. And they're engaged of course with the Untied States in Iraq to bring about free elections, and he cancelled the free elections in Northern Ireland today." That was protestor Jim Cavanaugh with the Irish Northern Aid Committee outside Houston's British Consulate yesterday. As British Prime Minister Tony Blair was in Basra on Thursday promoting democracy, Cavanaugh was showing his solidarity with the people of Northern Ireland who demanded that their election be rescheduled. Consul for Northern Irish Affairs Paul Johnson had this to say: "I don't believe that democracy is weakened by this time after the Prime Minister's call. To the contrary, I believe over the summer we can put together a deal to which both communities can subscribe, and have elections, that will reflect the true desire of all the people in Ireland." Johnson's enthusiasm over the election process is not shared by all. Irish Northern Aid Spokesperson Jay Dooling criticizes Blair's readiness to promote democracy abroad while stifling it so close to home: "The United States and Britain have theoretically been at war in Iraq to bring democracy, to bring free elections to the people of Iraq. And here, Northern Ireland, which is less than an hour plane ride away across the sea there, is ... they canceled the free elections at the same time they're fighting for free elections, theoretically, in Iraq." Of the six political parties in Northern Ireland, only the Blair-backed Ulster Unionist Party supports the indefinite postponement of the election. According to a Phoblact journalist Jim Gibney, the leader of the Ulster party David Trimble was most likely to be voted out of office were elections to occur. Again, Spokesperson for the Irish Northern Aid Jay Dooling draws a link between the problems in Northern Ireland and Texas. "And the pretty [sic?] system, Northern Ireland is a province and a province is very close to being a state. And in Texas, if the federal government were to come down and cancel our elections because they didn't think we were going to re-elect Perry, let's say. If Bush was afraid that Republicans weren't going to get the majority, they would be very concerned with that, and as are the people in Northern Ireland who have been disenfranchised." With no clear election date in sight, the people of Northern Ireland are waiting to see what - if any - progress is made in carrying out democratic elections. Mike Hornes, KPFT News, Houston. E-mail Mike Hornes at news@kpft.org . This story was broadcast on May 30, 2003.