Democratic Unionist Party Assembly Election candidates in Northern Ireland will have to sign a contract including a resignation letter which will come into play if they breach party discipline, it was confirmed tonight.
However, a party spokesman denied claims that the contract imposed a £20,000 fine on disobedient members. After a lengthy party officers' meeting to discuss the DUP's manifesto for the March 7th election, a spokesman said candidates in the 1998 and 2003 elections also had to sign a contract.
"We will have a contract in this election," he confirmed. "I would say, however, #20,000 is not an accurate figure. It is a paltry sum and certainly not five figures.
"The contract does contain a letter of resignation." Details of the contract emerged as pressure mounted on the DUP to state whether it would share power with Sinn Fein on March 26th after Gerry Adams' party signed up to involvement in policing in Northern Ireland.
Some senior members of the party including MPs have publicly expressed doubt as to whether the March 26th deadline set by Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern can be achieved.
However the DUP has insisted its party is united over the need for Sinn Fein to prove its support for policing is real with republicans co-operating on the ground with Sir Hugh Orde's Police Service of Northern Ireland.