O'NEILL SPEAKING -- SOUND ON FILM; PAISLEY SPEAKING -- SOUND ON FILM.



TRANSCRIPT: O'NEILL: "I'LL TRY ONCE AGAIN TO TELL OUR CROSS-CHANNEL AND WORLD CORRESPONDENTS THAT THIS ELECTION IS BEING FOUGHT ON ONE MAN ONE VOTE -- THAT'S POINT NUMBER ONE WHICH HASN'T GOT OVER TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. I HAVE HAD THE MOST MARVELLOUS RECEPTION IN ALL THE CATHOLIC AREAS OF MY CONSTITUENCY AND ALSO IN BELFAST AS WELL. IF THIS IS AN INDICATION OF CATHOLIC SUPPORT, THEN I THINK THE PRO-O'NEILL CANDIDATES ARE GOING TO GET MASSIVE CATHOLIC SUPPORT. IT'S RATHER INTERESTING THAT IN MANY OF THESE CONSTITUENCIES, PARTICULARLY MY OWN, THE CATHOLICS HAVE NEVER REALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE BEFORE IN THEIR LIVES. THEY HAVE, OF COURSE, FREQUENTLY VOTED IN AREAS WHERE THEY ARE IN GREAT STRENGTH. WHERE THEY ARE IN A MINORITY, THEY HAVE VERY OFTEN OPTED OUT OF THE BATTLE WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE. I THINK ON THIS OCCASION, YOU WILL SEE, UNLESS I'M VERY MUCH MISTAKEN, THEY WILL IN FACT COME OUT FOR THE O'NEILL CANDIDATES."



PAISLEY: "MY COMMENT WOULD SIMPLY BE THIS: THAT THIS IS A NEW DEPARTURE FOR THE UNIONIST PARTY WHO REALISE NOW THAT HEY HAVE LOST THE LOYALIST AND PROTESTANT VOTE, AND THEY MUST GET THEIR VOTES FROM SOMEWHERE, AND SO THEY'RE PREPARED TO GO CRAWLING TO THE HIERARCHY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH."




Initials DHC/VS/AS/SGM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: NORTHERN IRELAND PRIME MINISTER CAPTAIN TERENCE O'NEILL AND MILITANT PROTESTANT LEADER THE REVEREND IAN PAISLEY TODAY (FRIDAY) GAVE PRESS CONFERENCES IN BELFAST -- ONE OF THE LAST CHANCES THEY WILL HAVE TO STATE THEIR RESPECTIVE CASES BEFORE VOTING IN THE COUNTRY'S GENERAL ELECTION ON MONDAY. POLITICAL FORECASTS PREDICT A COMFORTABLE MAJORITY FOR CAPTAIN O'NEILL AND HIS PARTY, ALTHOUGH MR PAISLEY AND HIS SUPPORTERS CONTINUE TO BE CONFIDENT.

IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE CAPTAIN O'NEILL SAID HE HAD RECEIVED A STRONG RESPONSE FROM MINORITY ROMAN CATHOLIC VOTERS.

MR PAISLEY, WHO HAS FOUGHT CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN ON AN ANTI-PAPIST PLATFORM, MADE ONLY A BRIEF COMMENT ON CAPTAIN O'NEILL'S CLAIM OF CATHOLIC SUPPORT: