The race to succeed David Trimble as Ulster Unionist leader intensified tonight after the party confirmed three Assembly members as candidates.
At the close of nominations at 5 p.m., former Stormont economy minister Sir Reg Empey, former army major Alan McFarland and ex-Trimble aide David McNarry lodged papers to become candidates in the selection contest in seven days time.
Sir Reg Empey (57) is considered to be the favourite to win the contest which is decided upon by the votes of the UUP council.
Mr Trimble was forced to quit last month after the party lost four of its five Westminster seats in the General Election and also sustained heavy losses in the local government election.
Ulster Unionist president Lord Rogan confirmed: "There are three members of the party seeking the position of party leader.
"These are: Sir Reg Empey, the MLA (Assembly member) for East Belfast; Alan McFarland, MLA for North Down and David McNarry, MLA for Strangford.
"Their names will be put to an extraordinary meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council next Friday, 24th of June, where following a ballot the new leader will be elected."
The candidates will have just one week to persuade around 700 Ulster Unionist Council delegates to back them.
Sir Reg has the backing of around 16 of the party's 24 Assembly members including Policing Board member Fred Cobain and Michael Copeland.
Former Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, who also considered running for the leadership, abandoned his plans and has endorsed Sir Reg along with the party's MEP Jim Nicholson.
Alan McFarland, a former graduate of the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, has the support of the party's sole MP, Lady Sylvia Hermon and Assembly colleagues Esmond Birnie and Billy Bell.
David McNarry has vowed to restore the UUP under his leadership to the prime position in unionism.
Under David Trimble's leadership, the party was overtaken in the 2003 Assembly Elections by the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists as the province's largest party and biggest unionist party.
That was followed by the defection to the DUP of Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson and two other Assembly members, Arlene Foster and Norah Beare.
In last month's General Election, the DUP compounded Mr Trimble's agony by capturing his House of Commons seat in Upper Bann and also taking seats from the party in East Antrim and South Antrim.
A fourth UUP seat in South Belfast was lost to nationalist SDLP deputy leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell.