DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson has denied that his party is dragging its feet on powersharing with Sinn Féin while reiterating that "upfront delivery" was required from republicans to create the chance of a deal by the St Andrews Agreement deadline of March 26th.
Mr Robinson said that republicans faced hard decisions now that the politics of "constructive ambiguity" and "gestures" were ditched.
"The DUP is not dragging its feet in order to delay devolution. The DUP is dragging others to meet the standards that will allow lasting devolution to be established. We want to ensure that we never again have the stop-start devolution which ends in suspensions and chaos," he said yesterday.
SDLP Lagan Valley candidate Marietta Farrell meanwhile said that the windows of her office in Lisburn were smashed shortly before 7pm yesterday evening. No one was injured although staff suffered shock. Police were at the scene, she added.
Eamonn McCann, a candidate in Foyle for the Socialist Environmental Alliance, accused Sinn Féin of telling people "to be obedient to the British government and pay their water charges, or else they'll end up like the rent and rates strikers in the 1970s".
"We give notice to Sinn Féin and all the other conservative parties that we fully intend to defeat water charges, and that in the course of carrying this fight forward, we will face up to them just as we are facing up to Peter Hain and the Northern Ireland Office," he added.
Francie Brolly, Sinn Féin candidate for East Derry, yesterday responded to the North's security minister Paul Goggin's announcement that a review will take place on the site for a new prison.
Mr Brolly said the Magilligan prison site should be closed, while also calling for the removal of the local British army barracks.
"Sinn Féin has made it clear that Magilligan is an area of outstanding natural beauty that should be demilitarised as a priority," he said.
David Hoey, South Belfast candidate for the UKUP, said yesterday he would rather "stand beside [ party leader] Bob McCartney than be a cheerleader behind the Rev Ian Paisley".