REPRESENTATIVES of the loyalist paramilitaries will be at the forum and - if the loyalist ceasefires hold - at the all party negotiations, following the outcome of the Northern elections.
While the Progressive Unionist Party and the Ulster Democratic Party failed to gain any directly elected seats, they performed strongly enough to ensure admission to forum and talks through the regional list "top up" system.
The PUP and UDP came a creditable seventh and eighth on the regional list, thus each winning two seats at the forum. The parties respectively reflect the thinking of the UVF and UDA.
Their positions on the "top 10" regional list table justified the British government's gamble in devising a complicated electoral system designed to ensure that the two parties would be included.
The parties polled better than many pundits predicted. Mr Billy Hutchinson of the PUP was narrowly pipped by the DUP for the fifth seat in North Belfast.
The two parties did particularly well in the four Belfast constituencies, and reasonably well in more rural constituencies. The PUP polled almost 12,000 votes in Belfast and the UDP over 5,500.
The PUP polled best with 3,802 votes in East Belfast where the senior party spokesman, Mr David Ervine, was its main candidate.
The UDP did best in Lagan Valley with 3,007 votes. This is the constituency of the party leader, Mr Gary McMichael, from Lisburn who headed the list of UDP candidates there.
The PUP will be represented at the forum by the former Belfast lord mayor, Mr Hugh Smyth, and Mr Ervine. The UDP will be represented by Mr McMichael and Mr John White.
