May elections to go ahead claims DUP

The DUP have claimed that the government intends to go ahead with assembly elections in May following a meeting with Secretary of State Paul Murphy this morning.

DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley said the Mr Murphy had given him assurances during today's hour-long meeting that elections will take place.

Speaking after the meeting, Dr Paisley said the government was clear about its intentions to hold elections even if devolution could not be restored.

While the government held cross-party talks over the restoration of the local power sharing executive last week, Dr Paisley said he and his party had no interest in taking part in a review of its implementation.

The DUP leadership have continually said it would continue to talk to the government, but would not endorse formal reviews or their outcomes.

The province's power-sharing institutions were originally suspended on October 14 2002 following a row over allegations of IRA intelligence gathering, including alleged spying within the Northern Ireland Office.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble have agreed to maintain contact following discussions today over the current political impasse.

Following the meeting, Mr Trimble said he had told the Sinn Fein leadership that there had to be "genuine acts of completion" before devolution could be restored.

However, Mr Adams said that putting pre-conditions on Sinn Fein involvement in any future executive was "not helpful" and could be counter-productive.

He said his party had agreed to do its best to plot the course ahead but that it "couldn't do it on its own and it couldn't do the impossible".

Mr Trimble said the survival of the local institutions was dependent upon the removal of the threat of all paramilitarism.

Sinn Fein's involvement in discussions followed a meeting of their Ard Comhairle in Dundalk at the weekend.

During the meeting, party chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin claimed there was "deep concern" within republicanism over the lack of urgency being placed by the two governments on the resolution of the current political impasse.

Mr McLaughlin also said that it was time for Prime Minister Tony Blair to come up with a plan to restore the agreement and resolve all outstanding issues.

(MB)