Northern Ireland Assembly members will today vote on a motion condemning the involvement of paramilitary-linked parties, it was claimed today.
Democratic Unionist MP Mr Nigel Dodds called on the majority of MLAs to back a motion condemning parties with alleged links to paramilitaries and noting groups on ceasefire were still active.
The North Belfast MP told reporters: "We feel in the light of the awful terrorist attacks on the United States it is important the Assembly should have the opportunity to debate whether it is appropriate to have terrorist-linked parties in government.
"The public is concerned about ongoing republican and loyalist activity and that is why we have crafted this motion which will allow us to put pressure on the [British] government to do something about it.
"If this is the last debate the Assembly has before the institutions are suspended, then, hopefully, we can leave the Secretary of State Dr John Reid and others in no doubt where the majority of Assembly members lie on this issue," Mr Dodds said.
The Assembly faces a deadline of midnight on Saturday for the election of new First and Deputy First Ministers.
Failure to reach agreement on IRA disarmament by midnight on Saturday will mean unionists will not vote for a new First and Deputy First Minister.
That would force Dr Reid to either allow fresh Assembly elections to take place or suspend the institutions for one day or a longer period, allowing a review of the Belfast Agreement to occur.