Paisley seeks 'constructive change' as old foe Trimble faces new battle

The Reverend Ian Paisley exuded a constructive demeanour yesterday after last week's Assembly elections confirmed him as Northern Ireland's principal Protestant voice. He paraded his Assembly team, which has grown from 20 to 30, before meeting Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy for talks.

The Stormont assembly remains inoperative, however, and is unlikely to have power devolved to it for months or even years in the wake of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) victory. The DUP has three seats more than David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), which met yesterday to lick its wounds.

In a striking role reversal reflecting the new Unionist landscape, Mr Paisley was the focus of attention as the Government and others weighed up whether and when his party might do serious political business. Mr Trimble was meanwhile on the sidelines, criticising Mr Paisley while fending off attacks from internal critics. At a meeting of the UUP, party dissident Jeffrey Donaldson repeated his call for Mr Trimble to step down, saying party supporters had voted for change. He said he had also been threatened with expulsion from the party. Mr Trimble reiterated that he is staying on.

A main issue is the extent to which the Good Friday Agreement might be altered. The British and Irish governments are to carry out only a limited review of its workings, while Mr Paisley is demanding a full renegotiation. Mr Paisley was in constructive mode after meeting Mr Murphy, saying he hoped to see him again soon and to see the Prime Minister.

Mr Blair will probably be meeting all the major parties in the weeks ahead. Mr Paisley said they needed a context that would allow them to address "all the flaws of the old Agreement". He added: "The people we represent have voted for constructive change. It is important for us to ensure that the agenda for negotiation is sufficiently broad to provide the necessary scope to deal with all the matters we are mandated to pursue."

Mr Trimble said the DUP could not allow a stalemate to paralyse politics. He declared: "If you're in the driving seat you have an obligation to bring forward proposals and possible solutions. The fact that Dr Paisley is saying he's not going to, demonstrates the emptiness of the campaign he fought."

Sinn Fein reiterated its stance that the Agreement is not up for negotiation, its leader Gerry Adams making the point at Stormont before a republican Assembly party which has increased from 18 to 24.

A reversal has also occurred on the nationalist side, where Sinn Fein's moderate rivals, the SDLP, fell from 24 seats to 18. The two nationalist parties and two governments are anxious for a new deal, but the question is whether Mr Paisley and the DUP will be interested.