Paisley's warning to 'traitors'

Any Democratic Unionist caught making contact with Sinn Fein will be expelled, party leader the Rev Ian Paisley warned today.

The fierce opponent of the Good Friday Agreement also insisted it was time to scrap the four-year-old accord and start again.

With the British and Irish governments frantically trying to restore devolution in Northern Ireland, Mr Paisley pledged that the DUP will not negotiate with Sinn Fein while the IRA holds on to its weapons.

At his party’s annual conference in Belfast, he said: “We will not sit down and negotiate with the representatives of terrorism.”

The power-sharing Assembly at Stormont has been suspended since an alleged IRA spy-ring inside the Government was uncovered last month.

More round-table talks between the political parties are planned as London and Dublin bid to restore battered confidence in the peace process.

But the Democratic Unionists have boycotted negotiations, and Mr Paisley cautioned that indirect contact with republicans would not be tolerated.

Before addressing delegates he told BBC Radio Ulster: “Any member of the DUP who would enter into dialogue, communications or making bargains with Sinn Fein would be looked upon by the DUP as a traitor.”

In his speech to the party faithful, Mr Paisley savaged Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble for continuing to back the Agreement.

The North Antrim MP said: “Mr Trimble has stuck to the job of destroying the union and making Ulster the mere plaything of Dublin and the republican elements of the British Labour Party.”

The rival UUP chief’s claims to have removed the Irish Republic’s constitutional claim to Northern Ireland is also bogus, Mr Paisley said.

Delegates were also told bombings and shootings have increased since the peace deal was signed in April 1998.

With paramilitary prisoners out of jail early and the Royal Ulster Constabulary consigned to history, the DUP leader insisted the Good Friday document had totally failed.

He warned Prime Minister Tony Blair not to try and “push the Agreement down the throats of true democrats who are not prepared to bend the knee to the insatiable demands of IRA/Sinn Fein.”

Mr Paisley added: “Of course there can be an alternative. That is why we are insisting that the basis for talks must be built on the foundations of a truly democratic agenda.”

He insisted the DUP was pro-devolution but would not enter government with parties linked to paramilitaries.

In a message to Sinn Fein Mr Paisley declared: “Decommissioning of terrorist weapons must take place before the bar to any cabinet position could be considered to be lifted.”

Northern Ireland’s links with the republic should also be accountable to the Stormont Assembly, he said.

Earlier DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson also demanded the Agreement be torn up.

The East Belfast MP said: “Not since Frankenstein’s creation has so much effort been invested into resuscitating such a grotesque monster.”

With the DUP pressing for immediate elections to the Assembly, Mr Robinson also warned the Government that any effort to postpone the ballot-box battle beyond next May will be fought.

“If it seeks to extend the life of the Assembly it will have no democratic authority, no mandate and no legitimacy.”