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Fri 03 Mar 2007DUP and SF gain seats in Assembly electionsThe DUP and Sinn Féin have made significant gains in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections but despite these strong unionist and republican mandates the Rev Ian Paisley was last night still refusing to state whether he would agree to enter a powersharing government with Sinn Féin.The DUP easily saw off the challenge from unionists opposed to the St Andrews Agreement, while Sinn Féin dismissed the challenge from dissident republican candidates opposed to its stance on policing.