The British government has been accused by the DUP of appeasing nationalists after the Secretary of State for the North, Peter Hain, confirmed a major shake-up of the Policing Board was postponed for 12 months.
Mr Hain said the move would provide continuity at a time of major reform in the North.
Policing Board chairman Sir Desmond Rea and his deputy, Denis Bradley, are expected to continue to chair the 19-member board until October 2006.
However, the Democratic Unionist Party has called for immediate changes to the board 's membership to reflect the party's strong performance in the 2003 Assembly elections.
DUP statement
DUP Policing Board members Ian Paisley Jnr, Sammy Wilson and William Hay issued a joint statement today which claimed the extension of the current arrangement was a further concession to nationalists.
The statement said: "The Government have again chosen to appease nationalism and subvert democracy.
"Our anger isn't anything to do with how this decision will affect the DUP directly, but rather our objections are born out of the insult that this is to the electors of Northern Ireland.
"The present Policing Board reflects the political make up of the Province at the Assembly elections of 1998.
"It is now seven years since then and two since the last Assembly elections which considerably changed the electoral landscape.
"The opinions of the people who voted at that election are to be set aside with no regard whatsoever."
The party called on any member who retired or was not re-elected at the last election to stand down.
The statement concluded: "The Government cannot think that it can bend over backwards to appease other parties and ignore the DUP.
"Our co-operation on the Policing Board cannot be taken for granted".
The Secretary of State defended the move, which follows last week's historic IRA statement, while the SDLP's Alex Attwood called on Sinn Fein to embrace policing reforms.
Mr Hain said: "I have given the current position of the Northern Ireland Policing Board careful consideration and I am well aware of the different positions from the parties on this issue.
"However my overriding concern during these deliberations has been that the Board , which successfully fulfils a vital role in policing accountability arrangements, is provided with stability and continuity to continue its important work.
"I hope that circumstances permit the Board to be reconstituted before October 2006."
He added: "I acknowledge that there are issues around the memberships' numbers from a party political perspective but at a time of big change we need some stability and continuity.
"All parts of the community must support the work of the Policing Board and I pay tribute to the Board's continued commitment to their role in ensuring that the PSNI is effective, efficient and accountable to the community."
SDLP policing spokesperson Alex Attwood welcomed the decision.
The West Belfast MLA, who also sits on the Board , said: "The decision to continue the present membership of the Policing Board until October 2006 is the right decision for policing .
"The Policing Board has, far and away, been the most successful and radical of all the institutions established under the Good Friday Agreement."
Mr Attwood added: "The announcement yesterday by the British Government revealed how it is the IRA who have held up normalisation given that what was announced yesterday was agreed and published over two years ago.
"Despite the efforts of Sinn Féin and the IRA to hold up policing over the same period, they have failed, and failed miserably.
"Sinn Féin should cut their losses on policing and join us in implementing far-reaching policing change."