The Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists are a party in decline, Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble claimed today.
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At a press conference held to rebut the DUP's general election manifesto, Mr Trimble accused them of producing "a feeble attempt at a wrecker's manifesto".
The UUP leader also dismissed claims by his unionist rivals that his party was facing an electoral meltdown in the Westminster and local government elections.
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"If you look at local government, if there were going to be an Ulster unionist meltdown, there would be a host of new DUP candidates running.
"But as you can see they are quite desperate to find candidates and if you look at (South Antrim MP) the Reverend William McCrea's family, Willie is standing, his wife is standing and his son.
"I think if there is a party that is in decline it is the DUP. Its vote is dropping, its organisation is in pieces and they have difficulty finding candidates."
Mr Trimble, who was joined by East Antrim MP Mr Roy Beggs, Strangford candidate Mr David McNarry and East Belfast candidate Mr Tim Lemon, criticised the DUP manifesto and claimed "there was more substance" to the alternative version his party produced yesterday.
"There was one good joke, however, in the DUP manifesto and that was the reference in the document that 'standing on the sidelines will not produce anything for our cause'," he said.
"Yet the DUP continue to place themselves on the sidelines in a position where they cannot effectively represent Unionist people in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland First Minister asked how the DUP would negotiate when they "ran away" from talks in 1991 and 1997.
He also noted that the DUP said it wanted negotiations on North-South bodies and asked did that mean they now accepted the North-South Ministerial Council.
Mr Trimble said there was no pledge in the DUP's manifesto to leave the executive.
PA