The British government must press ahead with moves to form a devolved administration in the North without Sinn Féin after the general election, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) insisted today.
The party's manifesto, which was unveiled in Magheralin, Co Down, called for a clear message to be sent to republicans that the political process would no longer wait for them to give up paramilitarism and crime.
The DUP also pressed for a voluntary coalition to replace the current system of power sharing, but said if that could not be set up, direct rule from Westminster should be made more accountable to people in Northern Ireland.
Arguing unionism had emerged stronger under the DUP's leadership from last year's talks, the party said it had insisted then that no one associated with paramilitarism or criminality could be in any Northern Ireland executive.
"Sinn Féin could then only be considered for entry to an executive after complete visible, verifiable (IRA arms) decommissioning, a total end to all paramilitary and criminal activity, the community is convinced the IRA has been stood down," the party said.
However following the collapse of the talks and recent IRA actions, the party stated: "If executive devolution cannot be set up on a satisfactory democratic basis, then the only option is to make direct rule more accountable and acceptable."
Unionists want the SDLP to be their partner in a voluntary coalition that excludes Sinn Féin .
But at the publication of his party's manifesto yesterday, SDLP leader Mark Durkan rejected the idea.
The DUP did not outline how, in the event of no voluntary coalition, the British government should go about making the English, Welsh and Scottish MPs who run government departments in Northern Ireland more accountable.
PA