One of the Rev Ian Paisley's MPs has criticised the powersharing agreement with Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
David Simpson said he believed the party's move to joint government with republicans to be premature. "We hope that the people of Northern Ireland will not have cause to regret this decision," he said.
He is the second member of Dr Paisley's parliamentary team at Westminster who is clearly unhappy at the decision to go into government with Sinn Féin in May.
South Antrim MP the Rev Willie McCrea has already spoken of his dismay, but, unlike DUP MEP Jim Allister, he has not resigned from the party.
Dr Paisley will be First Minister when the new Assembly in Belfast is opened on May 8th, with Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister.
Mr Simpson and fellow Upper Bann Assemblyman Stephen Moutray said: "We do believe and feel that it is our duty to state that this decision has been made prematurely, before the conditions were right and before the completion of a credible testing period.
"It is our view that both republicans and the government have more that they needed to do. All parties concerned now have a huge responsibility upon them to fulfil all of the pledges they have made in reaching this accord," Mr Simpson said.
PA