Northern Ireland Unionist Party politician, Mr Norman Boyd, has withdrawn from the South Antrim Westminster by-election in an attempt to prevent a split in the anti-agreement unionist vote.
The election on September 21st will now largely be a straight battle between the Ulster Unionist candidate, Mr David Burnside, and the Rev Willie McCrea, of the DUP.
Mr Boyd said he was withdrawing to maximise the anti-agreement vote in the constituency. However, he was highly critical of the DUP for rejecting an electoral pact with his party and for its attitude to Sinn Fein.
"The Rev William McCrea is refusing to take part in a debate with Sinn Fein in this election campaign - yet the DUP sits on committees under the chairmanship of Sinn Fein and it poses written and oral questions to Sinn Fein ministers on a daily basis.
"I and my colleagues have always stood against the real enemies of the Union and democracy and will continue to do so. Is it not time for the DUP to show true unionist leadership and unite unionism rather than trying to politically eradicate every other unionist party and its members?"
Mr Boyd, a member of the Stormont Assembly, said he had earlier offered to support Mr McCrea in return for a pledge that his party would be given a clear run in future elections if the DUP candidate was defeated.
He accused Mr McCrea of "political arrogance" but said he was withdrawing because splitting the anti-agreement unionist vote would mean victory for the UUP. The by-election follows the death of the sitting UUP MP, Mr Clifford Forsythe. He had a majority of 16,611, but the DUP did not contest the election.
Other candidates in this month's poll include Mr David Ford, of the Alliance Party; Mr Donovan McClelland, of the SDLP; and Mr Martin Meehan, of Sinn Fein.