Paisley looks for St Andrews verdict

Democratic Unionist leader the Reverend Ian Paisley will today make a direct appeal to his supporters to give his party their verdict on the St Andrews agreement.

As the DUP continued to weigh up its response to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's and Tony Blair's package of proposals to restore power-sharing in the North by next March, the party has published a four-page paper on the St Andrews deal.

The DUP document is being circulated in copies of today’s Belfast Telegraph.

Mr Paisley will argue in the document that unionists must weigh up the advances made during the three day St Andrews talks in Scotland against what would happen if they reject the deal by Mr Blair and Mr Ahern's deadline of November 10.

However the party document will also insist that the DUP needs progress on a number of issues before devolution can be restored.

These include securing a mechanism in the Assembly to ensure parties who break their ministerial obligations are punished without the entire power-sharing government being affected, further progress on the issue of parades, arrangements to move away eventually from the mandatory four-party executive at Stormont, fairness and equality measures for unionists, more details on a financial package to bolster a new power-sharing government and further clarification on the impact of St Andrews agreement’s pledge to introduce an Irish Language Act and remove barriers to employment for ex-paramilitary prisoners.

The DUP has engaged in a series of internal consultative meetings in East Belfast, South Antrim and North Antrim.

There have been suggestions that Mr Paisley and the DUP leadership have been urging the grass roots to back the agreement.

However reservations have been expressed by some members including the party’s MEP Jim Allister.

It is anticipated today’s DUP document will contrast the St Andrews agreement with the Good Friday Agreement, claiming it represents an advance for unionism.

Sinn Féin has also embarked on an internal consultation headed up by the party’s chairperson Mary Lou McDonald, MP Conor Murphy and TD Martin Ferris.

Republicans are being urged to sign up to policing in the North and give their wholehearted support to the rule of law and part of the St Andrews deal.

The DUP is insistent that it cannot contemplate going into government with Sinn Féin without Gerry Adams’ party being prepared to recognise the Police Service of Northern Ireland as the legitimate force of law and order.

If the North's politicians say yes to the St Andrews Agreement they will set in train a series of moves which could see Sinn Féin call a special party conference to change its policing policy, the election of Mr Paisley and Martin McGuinness as Stormont’ s First and Deputy Ministers on November 24 and power-sharing by March 26 of next year.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain will also have to decide if the parties accept the deal whether it will be endorsed by a referendum next March or through a fresh Assembly election.