Paisley meets Murphy for Stormont talks

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Paul Murphy has met DUP leader Ian Paisley at Stormont today.

The meeting follows last week's elections which saw the DUP become the largest party in the Northern Ireland assembly.

While the government again reaffirmed the Good Friday Agreement as "the only viable political framework that is capable of securing the support of both communities in Northern Ireland", Dr Paisley's party continues to state it won't sit down with Sinn Féin and that it wants to replace the Agreement with something that is "inclusive to both unionists and nationalists".

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, Dr Paisley said: "I don't accept the principle that we must sit down with armed terrorists who have enough weapons in their possession to blow up the whole of Northern Ireland."

However, Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, whose party overtook the SDLP to become the main voice of nationalists in Northern Ireland following elections, said there could be no renegotiation of the Good Friday Agreement.

"That is our position and we make no bones about it," the West Belfast MP said.

"The principles, structures and obligations of that Agreement cannot and will not be subverted."

Commenting on the DUP's new elevated position as the voice of unionism, Mr Adams said: "The increase in support for the DUP results directly from its ability to mop up all of the anti-Agreement smaller parties within the old Assembly. Pro-Agreement Unionism did not switch to the DUP but a section of it sat at home last Wednesday.

"Despite this there is also the reality that 70% of the electorate voted for the Agreement. So, in the immediate time ahead dialogue between Sinn Fein and the UUP is critical. We need to build a pro-Agreement project which will either compel the DUP into the institutions or, if they refuse, will leave them behind."

(MB)