Northern Ireland's First Minister David Trimble today repeated his pledge to step down from his post if the IRA do not start decommissioning their weapons.
With just seven days to go until Mr Trimble's July 1st resignation deadline, the Ulster Unionist leader was pessimistic about his chances of staying on as first minister.
He told Sky News: "If the IRA don't actually start decommissioning in the next few days, which seems unlikely, I will step down as first minister.
"I won't step down as party leader, I intend to continue doing that for some time to come. "The time has come for people to honour their obligations. The British Government promised us they would act in a situation like this."
At a meeting yesterday, Mr Trimble was re-elected to the helm of the Ulster Unionist Party.But he has pledged to resign at the end of this month unless the IRA start decommissioning their weapons.
Mr Trimble went on: "We have carried this process over the last couple of years and other people haven't made a commensurate effort."We can't be expected to carry it alone and it is up to the SDLP, the British Government, the Irish Government and the republican movement to do some serious thinking.
"We want to have both devolution and decommissioning. There will be a problem as a result of me stepping down and it does put things at risk but all I am asking republicans to do is implement the agreement.
"They haven't kept their promise to disarm. You have got to keep your word or else the other parties have got to look seriously at the redesign of the structures."
Mr Trimble said part of the reasons for the continuing problems on the streets was the fear that republicans will never decommission."In North Belfast it is very clear the way republicans can turn on and turn off the street disorder we have seen," he added. PA