Mr Nesbitt said;
“The Ulster Unionist Party is opposed to any move towards lengthening this Assembly mandate not least because it has massive implications for government delivery during this mandate. I have made this position clear in both our response to the Secretary of State`s consultation on the draft Bill and in our evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee.
“The public voted on 05 May 2011 to elect MLA’s for a four year term and will be rightly concerned about what may be perceived as an attempt by some to gain an extra year in office. If the Assembly term were to be extended then the public should have been notified of that intention before elections took place, as was the case in Scotland and Wales.”