The Rev Ian Paisley has made a strong, direct appeal to the DUP rank-and-file to trust and support his leadership, while warning that any disunity within the party would only serve the electoral ambitions of republicans. Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor, reports.
Dr Paisley, in a keynote address in Co Antrim last night, made no direct reference to reports of divisions within the DUP over the St Andrews Agreement but laid particular stress on supporters trusting his leadership and the party remaining united.
"United parties win elections. Divided ones do not," he warned at the DUP annual dinner in Kells when referring to the scheduled Assembly elections on March 7th.
"The next election will be the most crucial since the formation of the state. It will be fought on the key issue of law and order and the DUP's insistence on upfront delivery to our satisfaction. Unionism must be strong. If we are all over the place, trying to pick holes in our own position then the electorate will stay at home and punish unionism. The only victors in that scenario will be republicans," he added.
Dr Paisley said in his speech that he wanted to address a "lot of the rubbish, propaganda and lies that are being told by the enemies of our land". He referred to two key rules of politics - "stick to your policy and never deviate" and "stay on message and stay united" - and said the DUP became the largest party in the North through "overwhelming" trust placed in him as leader and through the DUP policy of delivering a "fair deal".
"A house divided cannot and will not stand. The greatest succour to our enemies is public divisions at this critical time amongst unionists," he added.
He said too often unionists believed the "words of Gerry Adams as if they are gospel before they would accept the words of a unionist" and only last week he heard "one unionist panic because Gerry Adams announced he would have a united Ireland by 2012.
"That cannot and will not happen. Unionists by their very force of numbers are in charge of the future sovereignty of Northern Ireland. Only by giving up and giving in, as some would do, will the union be lost," added Dr Paisley.
"Why are some content and quick to fall for our enemy's propaganda? For me it boils down to trust. I have not failed the Ulster people since I first took up the reins in 1969. There is nothing to suggest I will fail you by 2009. My trust has been earned the hard way and through thick and thin I have always sought to advance the interests of the people of our province. I am not about to betray that trust," he said.
Dr Paisley repeated that there would be no DUP powersharing until Sinn Féin delivered, chiefly, on policing. "I am committed to deliver a fair deal, an end to the trouble that has beset our land and seeing our enemies humbled by accepting democracy, and the rule of law," he said.
Meanwhile, the Assembly policing sub-committee tasked with trying to resolve the standoff between the DUP and Sinn Féin over the transfer of policing and justice powers to a restored Northern Executive held its first meeting at Stormont yesterday.