Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams today criticised Mr Tony Blair's decision to postpone the elections.
He said it was absurd for Mr Blair to suggest problems in the North be solved politically and then proceed with deferring the May 29th elections. He called on people to demonstrate for their right to vote.
However, Mr Adams welcomed the decision by the governments to publish their joint declaration.
Referring to Mr Blair's assertion that republicans had failed to state specifically that the IRA's leadership would no longer authorise paramilitary activities, Mr Adams he had given Mr Blair "precisely the answer he asked for at the time".
"Now he's looking for a different answer," he added.
Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble said the postponement of the election became inevitable when the IRA statement on its future intent failed to make clear its commitment to solely democratic means.
He accused the republican movement of taking advantage of his party's courage and said it would have to reconsider its approach to the peace process.
"They are going to have to implement this agreement properly," he said.
"I have wanted to see the problem cured, I want to get rid of the instability whereby the Assembly lurches from crisis to crisis and we want to see the Assembly function properly in a stable and peaceful society," Mr Trimble said.
"We had hopes that that was going to happen, we supported the (original) postponement of the election because we understood along with the [British] government that the republican leadership was going to do the business and we, like the government, were quite disappointed when we saw the IRA statement," he added.
Mr Trimble said the day had become inevitable from the minute that IRA statement was issued, but once the shouting died away, people needed to think carefully about what had caused the problem.
Loyalist paramilitary representatives later warned the election delay couldprovoke new sectarian violence unless all sides prove politics can work.
The Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the Ulster DefenceAssociation, claimed a political vacuum could now take hold.
"The UPRG are calling on those within the Irish Republican/Nationalistcommunity not to use the coming months and the summer period to heightenpolitically motivated tensions that may lead to violence," it said in astatement.
"Our appeal to the loyalist/unionist community would be to remain vigilantand adopt a common sense approach.
"All our difficulties should be sorted out through politics and notviolence."