The DUP has told the British Government there can be "no further chances for Sinn Féin-IRA" and that it will not join any post-election negotiation on the same basis as before.
In the House of Commons yesterday the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, re-affirmed their desire to carry the political process forward "on an inclusive basis." However, during Northern Ireland Questions, the DUP's Mr Nigel Dodds told Mr Murphy that as far as his party was concerned "there will be no further chances for Sinn Féin-IRA and no further fudging of democracy . . . it's time to move on without them."
Mr Dodds later told The Irish Times this meant "there will be no going back to the process as was". He said the prime minister was mistaken "if the notion is to pick up the pieces and resume where we left off" sometime after this year's general election.
"It's over," said Mr Dodds, who asserted that the DUP would not join in any negotiation "that is going to lead to them (Sinn Féin) coming into the government of Northern Ireland".
While acknowledging that such a prospect could not be ruled out for all time, Mr Dodds said it was pointless to even speculate about how long it would take before the necessary public confidence could be restored. "We're way beyond that," he said. "It's just not on the horizon."
Meanwhile, the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, accused Mr Murphy of giving the IRA an effective veto over political developments.
After hearing Mr Murphy again say the ultimate goal remained an inclusive power-sharing Executive, Mr Trimble told him: "The position you have adopted is tantamount to saying the IRA are going to have a veto over the resumption of the Assembly and the implementation of the Belfast Agreement. If you continue to adopt that position then there's absolutely no prospect of any progress."
Mr Murphy replied: "I don't think you are accurate when you say I've adopted a position in such a rigid fashion. On Tuesday I said we had ruled nothing out or in, and that we are considering all these different options."
However, Mr Murphy reminded Mr Trimble that any alternative form of power-sharing without Sinn Féin would require agreement of the SDLP which was not forthcoming.
Mr Blair later side-stepped an invitation from Ulster Unionist Mr David Burnside to convene talks with the two unionist parties, the SDLP and Alliance to see if they could agree the formation of "a voluntary coalition." Mr Blair told him: "I still believe the best way forward - it may not be possible - but the best way forward is on an inclusive basis."
Liberal Democrat Mr Alistair Carmichael said the claim by the Minister for Justice, Mr Michael McDowell, that Sinn Féin leaders Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness were members of the IRA's army council had altered the political landscape. "We should therefore be willing to consider new options, including the recall of the Assembly without Sinn Féin in the Executive if they cannot meet the required standards."
The SDLP's Mr Séamus Mallon said one thing that was possible was to require every political party to take part in any future negotiation to endorse the policing settlement in Northern Ireland and join the Policing Board.
