One of Mr David Trimble's fiercest critics within the Ulster Unionist Party last night called a temporary halt to his assault.
Mr David Burnside, MP and Stormont Assembly member for South Antrim, has been a leading light in the campaign to oust Mr Trimble from the leadership.
But he said he was falling silent and going to make no further comment on the issue until after the European elections in the summer and urged other party members to follow his lead.
Last weekend Mr Trimble easily beat off two challengers for the leadership at a party meeting and called for an end to the internal fighting.
Mr Burnside said last night: "After last Saturday's Ulster Unionist a.g.m., and following discussions with a wide range of party colleagues in South Antrim, I will make no further public statements on the present or future leadership of our party until after the European Parliamentary elections in June."
He said he believed and hoped that the 40 per cent of party colleagues who voted against Mr Trimble would, in the best interests of the party and Northern Ireland, "adopt a golden silence on the subject of the leadership until polls close on June 10th".
His statement was a clear response to Mr Trimble's warning that the constant criticism of his leadership would, if it continued, damage the party at the polls. - (PA)