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The Democratic Unionist Party ('''DUP''') is the larger of the two main Unionist Political Parties in Northern Ireland . Led by Ian Paisley , it is the largest party in Northern Ireland and the fourth-largest party in the British House Of Commons . The DUP has strong links to Protestant churches, particularly Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church Of Ulster , and is considered a Protestant political party.1 Following on from the St Andrews Agreement in October 2006 , the DUP has agreed with the Irish Republican party Sinn Féin to enter into Power-sharing Devolved government in Northern Ireland. In the aftermath of the agreement there were reports of divisions within the DUP. Many of its leading members, including Members Of Parliament (MPs) Nigel Dodds , David Simpson and Gregory Campbell were claimed to be in opposition to Paisley. All the party's MPs fully signed up to the manifesto for the 2007 Assembly elections, supporting power sharing in principle. An overwhelming majority of the party executive voted in favour of restoring devolution in a meeting in March 2006 2; however, the DUP's sole Member Of The European Parliament (MEP), Jim Allister 3, and seven DUP councillors4 later resigned from the party in opposition to its plans to share power with Sinn Féin. HISTORY The party was established in 1971 by 's three European Parliament members at the first elections in 1979 and retained that seat in every European election until 2004 , receiving the highest percentage popular vote of any MEP in Britain or Ireland , and one of the highest anywhere in Europe. In 2004 Paisley was replaced as the DUP MEP by Jim Allister , who resigned from the party in 2007 while retaining his seat. The DUP also holds seats in the British House of Commons, and has been elected to each of the Northern Ireland conventions and assemblies set up since the party's creation. It has long been the major rival to the other major Unionist party, the Ulster Unionist Party (known for a time in the 1970s and 1980s as the ''Official Unionist Party'' (OUP) to distinguish it from the then multitude of other unionist parties, some set up by deposed former leaders). However, the DUP's main rivals are the Irish Republican Sinn Féin and the Irish Nationalist Social Democratic And Labour Party (SDLP). The DUP was originally involved in the negotiations under former United States Senator George J. Mitchell that led to the Belfast Agreement (also known as the '' Good Friday Agreement'' on account of the day on which it was signed). The party withdrew in protest when Sinn Féin , a Republican party with ties to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), was allowed to participate despite the IRA retaining weapons. The DUP opposed the Agreement in the referendum that followed its signing, and which saw the Agreement approved reasonably comfortably nonetheless. The DUP fought the resulting election to the Northern Ireland Assembly and took two seats in the multi-party power-sharing executive but while serving as ministers refused to sit in at meetings of the Executive Committee (cabinet) in protest at Sinn Féin's participation. The Executive ultimately collapsed over an alleged IRA espionage ring at Stormont . (see Stormontgate ). In the delayed Northern Ireland Assembly election of 2003 , the DUP became the largest political party in the region, with 30 seats. In 2004, it became the largest Northern Ireland party at Westminster , with the defection of Jeffrey Donaldson . On December 12 , 2004, English MP Andrew Hunter took the DUP whip, giving the party seven seats, in comparison to the UUP's five, Sinn Féin's four, and the SDLP's three. In the 2005 General Election , the party reinforced its position as the largest unionist party, winning nine seats, making it the fourth largest party in terms of seats in the British House of Commons behind Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. In terms of votes, the DUP is the fourth largest party in Ireland. When this is compared to the Northern Ireland local government elections (held on the same day as the Westminster General Election but under Proportional Representation ), then the final figures would indicate that, had the Westminster General Election been on a Proportional Representation basis instead of the First-past-the-post system, the DUP would only have had six seats and the UUP and Sinn Féin four seats each. The SDLP would still have its three seats but there would have been another seat for an independent. At the Local Government election of 2005, the DUP also emerged as the largest party at Local Government level with 182 Councillors across Northern Ireland's 26 District Councils.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/flg05.htm 2005 Local Government Election Results] The DUP currently has a majority of the members on both Castlereagh Borough Council , which has long been a DUP stronghold and is home to Deputy Leader Peter Robinson , and in Ballymena Borough Council , home to Ian Paisley. As well as outright control on both of these councils, the DUP is also the largest party in eight of the other Councils. These are Antrim Borough Council , Ards Borough Council , Ballymoney Borough Council , Banbridge District Council , Belfast City Council , Carrickfergus Borough Council , Coleraine Borough Council , and Craigavon Borough Council . POLICIES Constitutional position The DUP supports the maintenance of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom .
Policy papers
Party spokesmen - Westminster BELFAST AGREEMENT The 1998 Belfast Agreement was opposed by the Democratic Unionist Party. The opposition was based on a number of reasons, including:
The Belfast Agreement relied on the support of a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists in order for it to operate. During the 2003 Assembly Election, the DUP argued for a "fair deal" that could command the support of both unionists and nationalists. After the results of this election the DUP argued that support was no longer present within unionism for the Belfast Agreement. They then went on to publish their proposals for devolution in Northern Ireland entitled 'Devolution Now' These proposals have been refined and re-stated in further policy documents including and The DUP has consistently held the view that any party which is linked to a terrorist organisation should not be eligible to hold Government office. The activities of the IRA and the other paramilitary groups have been monitored by the Independent Monitoring Commission . ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES Parliament of the United Kingdom Members of Parliament :
Northern Ireland Assembly Members of the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly :
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS On , Wallace Browne , the former Lord Mayor Of Belfast , and Eileen Paisley , a vice-president of the DUP and wife of DUP Leader Ian Paisley . None, however, sit as DUP peers. On 27 October 2006 , the DUP issued a four page letter in the ''Belfast Telegraph'' newspaper asking the question "Are the terms of Saint Andrew's a basis of moving forward to devolution?", with responses to be received to its party headquarters by the 8 Novermber. It was part of the party's overall direction of consultation with its electorate before entering a power-sharing assembly. On 24 November 2006 , Ian Paisley refused to nominate himself as First Minister designate. There was confusion between all parties whether he actually said that if Sinn Féin supported policing and the rule of law that he would nominate himself on 28 March 2007 after the Assembly elections on 7 March 2007 . The Assembly meeting was brought to an abrupt end when they had to evacuate because of a security breach. Ian Paisley later released a statement through the press office stating that he did in fact imply that if Sinn Féin supported policing and the rule of law, he would go into power sharing with Sinn Féin. This was following a statement issued by 12 DUP MLAs stating that what Ian Paisley had said in the chamber could not be interpreted as a nomination. The DUP has recently suggested that it would begin to impose fines up to £ 20,000 on members disobeying the party whip on crucial votes. Sunday Times, page 1.10, February 4 2007 On 24 March 2007 the DUP Party Executive overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution put to them by the Party Officers which did not agree to an establishment of devolution and an Executive in Northern Ireland by the Government's deadline of 26th March, but did agree to setting up an Executive on 8th May 2007. DUP Executive agrees devolution date On 27 March 2007 , the party's sole Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jim Allister , resigned from the party, in opposition to the decision to enter powersharing with Sinn Féin , he will retain his seat as a Independent MEP. MP Gregory Campbell has warned on April 6 2007 that his party will be watching to see if benefits flow from the party's agreement to share power with Sinn Féin .5 On 7 May 2007 The East Antrim MLA George Dawson passed away after a short battle against cancer. He was replaced by Alastair Ross , who had previously worked as a Parliamentary Researcher for the East Antrim MP and MLA Sammy Wilson. SEE ALSO FOOTNOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
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