Mr Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was under pressure today to spell out whether they wanted a political deal in Northern Ireland or not.
Ulster Unionist Leader Mr David Trimble expressed optimism that normal politics could be returned to Northern Ireland within weeks, but he said it depended on whether the DUP still wanted to wreck the Good Friday Agreement or wanted to work the political institutions.
At the same time the leader of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Rev Ken Newell, criticised the DUP and said they needed to explain why they did not "reel in" the opportunities that presented themselves at the Leeds Castle talks.
Speaking after the three days of discussions, Mr Trimble was up beat about the prospects despite the failure of the British and Irish Governments and local parties to tie down a deal for the restoration of devolution.
"The Government believes it is in a position now to get republicans not to just begin decommissioning, but to complete it and to wind up the private army. "We have yet to see the response from the leadership of the republican movement and we expect to get that in the next week or so," said Mr Trimble.
But on BBC 1's Breakfast with Frost, he said there was still the problem of whether the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party was now ready to work with the suspended Assembly or was on a wrecking mission.
The DUP had raised a whole lot of objections about the operation of the Assembly, he said. "What we don't know is whether they are trying to genuinely improve its operation or whether they are trying to wreck it."
That would become clear as talks between the governments and the parties continued at Stormont over the coming weeks, he said. Political arrangements had to reflect the nature of society in Northern Ireland and that would mean finding ways of the parties working together.
He said if the DUP were "coming into the process rather than hanging back as they have done over the last half dozen years", that would be a good thing. However, if they were joining in only to "try to spoil the party for everyone else" it was not a good idea, said Mr Trimble.