Paisley pledges to play ‘positive role’ in North
Mr Paisley, whose DUP party emerged as the largest party after last week's election with 30 seats, said progress had been made after a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy.
"We want to be sure that no limitations will be imposed that will impede us from dealing with the many important issues that need to be addressed," Mr Paisley said.
"The people we represent have voted for constructive change. We are committed to work for the implementation of our electoral pledges."
The DUP has called for a re-negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement to create a deal acceptable to unionists.
But Mr Murphy has said the fundamental principles of the Agreement, including power sharing, the operation of North-South institutions and the principle of consent cannot be renegotiated.
A review of the Agreement is due to take place next month and Mr Paisley said last night it was important for his party to ensure that the agenda was broad enough to deal with all the matters that concern his supporters.
"The negotiation context must afford us the opportunity to raise all the concerns of the unionist community; address all the flaws of the old Agreement, enable us to reach our objectives and achieve the goals we have set.
"We have left the Secretary of State with some issues that need clarification and we will have another meeting with him soon.
"In addition we want to meet with the Prime Minister (Tony Blair) to ensure he understands our position and respects the positive agenda we are pursuing," he said.
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, whose party secured 27 seats in the new assembly, said his focus would be on challenging the DUP on its proposals to end the deadlock in the political institutions.
"This assembly here is empty it is closed and it will not be open until some proposals come forward and it is not good enough for the DUP to go on pretending they are in opposition for the next year or so, because if they do, then we won't be here," he said.
Mr Trimble faces a challenge to his leadership from anti-Agreement members who blame him for the party being overtaken by the DUP.
His arch-critic Jeffrey Donaldson yesterday repeated his call for Mr Trimble to resign.
Speaking after the first meeting of the UUP's new assembly group at Stormont, Mr Donaldson said moves were being made by Trimble supporters to have Donaldson ejected from the party.
"One of my colleagues indicated that there might be a requisition for a special meeting of the Ulster Unionist council to call for my resignation but I don't know how correct that is," he said.
The Lagan Valley MP said he believed the only way forward for his party was for Mr Trimble to step down but he refused to speculate on whether he would mount the bid to become leader of the party.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin also held its first meeting of its assembly members with Gerry Adams insisting there could be no renegotiation of the Good Friday Agreement.
In a speech to his team at Stormont, Mr Adams said the DUP must not have a veto in implementing the accord.
"There can be no renegotiating of the Good Friday Agreement. That is our position and we make no bones about it. The principles, structures and obligations of that Agreement cannot and will not be subverted," said Mr Adams.
The Sinn Féin chief, whose party overtook the SDLP as the largest nationalist group in the Assembly with 24 seats, denied that the political situation amounted to a standoff between Sinn Féin and the DUP.
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