The Rev Martin Smyth has been reselected by the Ulster Unionist Party to defend his South Belfast seat in the next British general election.
The anti-Good Friday Agreement MP held off a strong challenge by the Northern Ireland Minister for Culture Mr Michael McGimpsey at yesterday's meeting, winning by 61 votes to 47.
Mr Smyth, who mounted an unsuccessful leadership challenge to Mr David Trimble last March, said after the meeting that it was time for the UUP to move forward.
"Hopefully those who actually claim to be on the Agreement side will start implementing it for the good of all our people,'' he said.
"I'm now talking about the concept of respect for the police, lawful authority and to get weapons out of the road.''
Mr McGimpsey said he was "thrilled'' at the strength of support he received in the meeting but insisted he was now fully behind Mr Smyth.
``This was not about yes or no inside that meeting, this was about how we went forward in the election,'' he said.
Mr Smyth has been the MP for South Belfast since 1982. In the 1997 general election he held a near 5,000 majority.
However, his victory means that the Progressive Unionist Party is unable to field a candidate in what is a predominantly pro-Agreement constituency.
Mr David Ervine, a senior figure in the PUP, has not ruled out stepping forward to represent his party.
Another potential beneficiary is the SDLP candidate Alasdair McDonnell.In 1997 he was 4,600 votes behind Mr Smyth, but after being reselected earlier this week he claimed that many pro-Agreement, liberal unionists have pledged their support to him.
But rising to the challenge Mr Smyth said: "We have seen them off before and we will see them off again.''
PA