The DUP has predicted that anti-agreement unionist candidates will win more than 30 seats in the Assembly election to place them in a possible position to ensure key elements of the agreement such as cross-Border bodies cannot be implemented.
The DUP, publishing its manifesto yesterday under the slogan, Vote DUP - Your Best Guarantee, still insisted it was not setting out to wreck the Assembly, notwithstanding that some of its policies if implemented could render the Assembly unworkable.
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, said the main issue of the election was the defence and maintenance of the Union. The Belfast Agreement was designed to destroy the Union and to "demoralise the pillars that strengthen and support the Union". He called on voters to support the DUP's 34 candidates, transfer to unionist candidates opposed to the Belfast agreement "and then stop".
It is estimated that whichever unionist faction, either pro- or anti-agreement, wins 30 seats in the Assembly will be able to determine whether or not the Assembly can function under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, predicted that anti-agreement unionists including the DUP, the UK Unionist Party, anti-agreement UUP candidates and independent unionist would win more than 30 seats.
Mr Robinson said the DUP would oppose Sinn Fein members sitting on an Assembly executive without the IRA having started decommissioning. Neither would it accept North-South bodies with executive powers. The DUP manifesto also states that "justice demands" that paramilitary prisoners remain in prison.
"This party will continue to fly the flag, and it is in no doubt of the flag that it is flying, unlike the Ulster Unionist Party who are flying the white flag of surrender, surrendering to Dublin, surrendering to Sinn Fein and the SDLP, and are prepared to sacrifice the Union in order to get positions in an executive," added Mr Robinson.
But the DUP again failed to clarify how it could reconcile its stated position that it was not setting out to wreck the Assembly when its manifesto policies appeared to contradict essential terms of the Belfast Agreement which set up the Assembly.
"We have made it from the very beginning our aim and objective to destroy the agreement in its destruction of the Union. We are going into that body [the Assembly] as saviours of the Union. The people who are the wreckers of the Union are the people who will work for cross-Border bodies with power to implement their decisions," Dr Paisley said.
Mr Robinson said those who accused the DUP of setting out to destroy the Assembly tactically wanted to create that impression in the public's mind. "We are democrats. We have accepted the outcome of the referendum. We have accepted that the people of Northern Ireland voted for an agreement as interpreted to them by David Trimble and Tony Blair."
He claimed that such an agreement was inconsistent with North-South bodies holding executive powers, and with Sinn Fein holding ministerial positions without decommissioning taking place and violence given up for good. These were assurances given by the British Prime Minister, he claimed.
Mr Robinson said Mr Trimble and his pro-agreement UUP colleagues would join an Assembly executive with Sinn Fein without any prior decommissioning. "Da vid Trimble will sit down in government with Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness without any decommissioning taking place," he said.
Dr Paisley added: "The Union is under severe attack, and those who demonstrate in support of the Union are under severe attack." He accused the Conservative Party of being hypocrites and said he believed it would not properly press to have decommissioning linked to paramilitary prisoner releases. He claimed Mr Blair would try to "fudge" the issue because to make the link would be contrary to the terms of the agreement.
The DUP leader praised those civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office who were leaking confidential information to his party and other sources. "I want to defend those people. The people who should be in the queen's honours list are those that are exposing the deceit, the treachery and the villainy of the Northern Ireland Office."
Dr Paisley said DUP candidates and canvassers were receiving a positive response from voters. "Our canvass reports are very exciting. In areas where there was a strong Yes vote there has been a sea change. We are getting on the doors, not just one or two, but scores of people, sometimes hundreds of people, saying, `We have changed'.
"I don't know how many people have told us, `We always voted official unionist but not this time. We have been completely and totally disillusioned'. That is an absolute fact."
Dr Paisley said he had never had such a warm reception in his constituency of North Antrim. "People are coming out of their houses and shaking me by the hand and saying, `You keep at it, big man. We believe you are right and we are going to back you all the way in this election'."
He was dismissive of the SDLP's call for supporters to transfer to pro-agreement candidates including the UUP. "Any unionist who has to scrape the barrel to get transfers from the SDLP and Sinn Fein is not worthy of the name." He predicted "Sinn Fein is going to dent the SDLP very, very badly".
Dr Paisley said the Parades Commission should be ignored "because it was set up to close the roads of Northern Ireland to Orangemen". He condemned the decision to re-route the Tour of the North parade and warned that Orangemen must be allowed to parade down the Garvaghy Road from Drumcree on July 5th.
