The Ulster Unionist Party would make fools of themselves if they opted to approve the new government departments and cross-Border bodies while no decommissioning had taken place, the UK Unionist Party leader, Mr Robert McCartney, said at the weekend.
Addressing some 200 delegates at his party's second annual conference in Belfast on Saturday, the North Down MP criticised the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) for showing weak leadership on decommissioning and warned that even if the Assembly collapsed the North-South bodies would remain in place.
Mr McCartney said it would be "a fatal mistake" if the Assembly approved North-South bodies and departments on Monday, February 15th. Sinn Fein would clap its hands if Mr Trimble refused to enter an Assembly executive because, "should the Assembly collapse at this point, they will have achieved everything they wanted in this phase of their programme, the North-South councils of ministers and cross-Border bodies".
But Mr McCartney told delegates he believed that the First Minister would capitulate and join the executive without decommissioning, thus setting the stage for the corruption of democracy, strengthening paramilitaries and weakening the forces of law and order.
The MP accused the British government of blackmail, telling its own citizens that they must not insist on decommissioning "because if you do, there will be a return to violence". "What sort of morality is that? What sort of peace is this? What sort of worthwhile society can be built upon conduct such as this?"
The Belfast Agreement was a disaster for pro-unionists and democracy, he said. The main objective of the peace process was about ensuring that "the mainland" was safeguarded from the threat of IRA violence and bombing campaigns.
He reiterated his appeal to the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mowlam, to declare that recent paramilitary attacks were a breach of the IRA and loyalist ceasefires, the Mitchell Principles and the Belfast Agreement, and exclude Sinn Fein and the Progressive Unionist Party from the Assembly.
He added that it would appear "that republicans may kill, maim, and mutilate any number of Catholics, as can loyalists in relation to Protestants". But such activity would not amount to a breach of the ceasefire. The paramilitary attacks should also warrant no further prisoner releases.
The ownership of responsibility for the current situation rested with all unionists, added Mr McCartney, four of whose Assembly colleagues - Mr Cedric Wilson, Mr Paddy Roche, Mr Roger Hutchinson and Mr Norman Boyd - recently left the party. "The divisions within unionism, including those within our own party, have contributed more to the ongoing success of Irish republicanism than its own efforts," he said.
Mr McCartney and organisers of the conference have ruled out any formal censure of the former UKUP members, who are expected to launch their new Northern Ireland Unionist Party on Wednesday. "It is history, we are putting this behind us and getting on with our own business," said a UKUP spokesman.
Indeed, the party faithful rallied round their leader, passing a motion for a UK Unionist candidate to stand in this year's European elections. Mr McCartney, whose name was put forward, said the party believed it would draw support not only from its own resources but from known Ulster Unionists.
Although clearly pleased that the motion had been endorsed, Mr McCartney refused to confirm whether he would be the candidate.
He said that their statistics and all the soundings they had taken indicated that a UK Unionist candidate would do extremely well in the election.