From the point of view of Paisley and the DUP the elections were an important point on the road to acquiring political legitimacy.

On the basis of that episode alone, the Government has never acquired legitimacy in the eyes of many South Koreans.

The post-Amin regimes in Uganda were characterised by corruption, factionalism and an inability to restore order and acquire popular legitimacy.

As the Iraqi government acquires legitimacy, the hateful resistance - which has killed many more Iraqis than Americans - will lose its standing.

Democratic institutions were installed in 1890 with the promulgation of a constitution and continued to acquire legitimacy until the 1920s, when they fell into disrepute.

Such courses have to develop an element of 'theory' or 'analysis'in order to acquire academic legitimacy; which risks producing a counter-reaction from practitioners.

And ever since the arranged marriage of the blues and Tin Pan Alley, jazz has been built on outrageous pairings that only later acquired legitimacy.

All governments and powerful groups seek to acquire legitimacy, for the very good reason that it is the most efficient and stable basis for exercising power.

Only that way will the work of the Union acquire legitimacy, which is to say the general approval of the public.

I believe that Members only acquire legitimacy through election.