The Democratic Unionists were tonight accused of "living in cloud cuckoo land" after their deputy leader Peter Robinson claimed they would be able to renegotiate the Belfast Agreement.
Nationalist SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan ruled out his party's participation in any talks which would undo the Belfast Agreement after the East Belfast MP insisted in a newspaper article a victory by his party over Mr David Trimble's Ulster Unionists in the next Assembly election would force a renegotiation.
Mr Robinson, who is the Regional Development Minister in the Stormont Executive, said: "I firmly believe that a DUP election victory will cause a renegotiation.
"The law requires a level of support in the Assembly after an election before the process can move forward. Without it, negotiations are inevitable and unavoidable.
"It is also worth pointing out that the DUP is committed to playing a full part in such negotiations. We will work with purpose and earnestly with the Prime Minister, his Government Ministers or an agreed `honest broker' charged with managing the renegotiation process.
"We have consistently said that we will talk to all other constitutional parties during these negotiations.
"We have also recorded our recognition that while we can limit and regulate our own behaviour, we cannot govern the behaviour of other parties who may decide to talk on a wider basis. However, we do not intend to allow the presence or absence of other parties to deflect us from the task ahead."
In his Belfast Telegrapharticle, Mr Robinson said he believed it was possible to come up with proposals which could command the support of both unionists and nationalists.
The Belfast Agreement, he contended, did not command the support of the majority of unionists and therefore could not survive.
The accord, he insisted, encouraged rather than discouraged the existence of paramilitary organisations.
However Mr Durkan, who is also Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, accused Mr Robinson of being "crazy".
Noting the DUP deputy leader was still refusing to reveal what his party's blueprint was for achieving agreement between the two communities, the Foyle MLA asked: "Who does he think he is to renegotiate it with?
"Let's be clear: the SDLP will not be party to any attempt to undo any of the hard won principles and precepts of the Agreement," he said.