Ulster Unionist negotiators got absolutely nothing from the IRA in recent talks to revive the peace process, the Democratic Unionist leader, the Rev Ian Paisley claimed yesterday
This week's events indicated the Good Friday Agreement had "totally failed", the North Antrim MP said in the first of his party's election press conferences.
The unravelling of the deal between Ulster Unionists, Sinn Féin and the British and Irish governments had shown Mr David Trimble to be "totally incompetent", he claimed. "So long denied the opportunity to cast their vote, the time has come for unionists to step forward and have their say.
"I am hearing that there are serious regrets in Downing Street that they jumped the gun and made this statement early yesterday confirming the election would take place.
"If that statement had not been made then, there would not have been an election, so they are hanging on their own petard at this present time.
"This election offers the people of Northern Ireland a simple choice - do they want four more years of Trimble-delivered concessions, Sinn Féin/IRA - or the opportunity to negotiate a new and fair deal that unionists, as well as nationalists, can support? The election was the opportunity to deliver a verdict on what Trimble and the Official Unionists have done over the past five years."
DUP deputy leader Mr Peter Robinson described yesterday's dramatic unravelling of the deal as a "shambles". "The events of yesterday highlight the total shambles and incompetence at the heart of the Ulster Unionist Party. Through its actions, it has once again demonstrated that it is not fit to negotiate for unionism."
Mr Robinson said there had been no acts of completion nor any declaration that the IRA's war was over. The East Belfast MP claimed the IRA was still holding Northern Ireland's political process to ransom.
"No matter how much gloss the pro-Agreement parties try to put on the events of Tuesday, the reality is that absolutely nothing has changed."
He said he could not understand how Mr Trimble, having met Sinn Féin leaders over a dozen times, could not have secured absolute clarity on what had been agreed. "The process has become a total and absolute farce," the former Stormont regional Development Minister said.
The DUP's leader and his deputy insisted they would not negotiate directly with Sinn Féin.
Meanwhile, Mr Alex Attwood, the SDLP chairman, said it was clear that neither Sinn Féin nor the Ulster Unionists were totally up for the agreement.