71.   Early Friday, Britain confirmed that the most hard-line Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists, had also nominated members to their two allotted posts.

72.   Hard-line Protestant parties attract little electoral support.

73.   Guiney was a friend of David Adams, chairman of a Protestant party linked with the largest pro-British paramilitary group, the Ulster Defense Association.

74.   He noted that the Ulster Unionists, the major pro-British Protestant party, regularly talk now with the IRA-linked Sinn Fein party.

75.   He beat a rival from the Ulster Unionist Party, the more moderate Protestant party that had represented the district for more than two decades.

76.   He did not run again then, but eight months later, he was returned to Parliament as an Ulster Unionist, the largest Protestant party in Northern Ireland.

77.   His party cut deep into the traditional lead of the major Protestant party, the Ulster Unionists.

78.   However, a minister already has met with representatives of the Progressive Unionist Party, a small Protestant party which has close links with the UVF.

79.   However, there may be no one from the larger Protestant parties to negotiate with.

80.   If more Protestant parties from the Protestant side go, it would leave the negotiations without majority representation from both sides of this divided community, another requirement.