A striking example of the current turmoil within unionism has emerged in the Fermanagh-South Tyrone constituency. A long-time member of the Ulster Unionist Party, who attended its selection meeting, is running as a candidate for another party.
Mr Jim Dixon, who was badly injured in the Enniskillen bombing 10 years ago, has put himself forward as the candidate for Mr Bob McCartney's UK Unionist Party.
He was present at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Party in Enniskillen last month when candidates were being selected. At that meeting three pro-agreement people were chosen but Ms Arlene Foster, who was prominent in the Ulster Unionist No camp, missed selection by just eight votes.
Ulster Unionists in the constituency have expressed surprise that Mr Dixon, who has resigned from the party, is running for the UKUP, although his opposition to the Belfast Agreement was well known. He addressed a United Unionist No rally in Lurgan alongside Mr McCartney and leading DUP members days before the referendum.
He says it is "revolting and disgusting" that the UUP "negotiated with Sinn Fein/IRA to release those responsible for atrocities," and alleges that "serpent-like politicians" are trying to replace the authority of God with the philosophy of evil.
While many unionists in the constituency may feel sympathy with Mr Dixon and share his concern over prisoner releases, it is unlikely that he will poll very well. Traditional voting patterns in this rural constituency are unlikely to change greatly, and there is a loyal Ulster Unionist vote.
There is enough anti-agreement sentiment to get one person elected in the constituency, and it is likely to be Mr Maurice Morrow of the DUP, a councillor in Dungannon. The DUP vote is expected to be just short of a quota, but should be helped by other anti-agreement voters.
Of the three Ulster Unionists in the field two should get elected, given that the party received 32 per cent of the vote at the Forum elections. On this occasion, with a six-seater constituency, 28.6 per cent would be sufficient for two seats.
Mr Sam Foster, a former chairman of Fermanagh District Council, says he hopes people in the No camp will realise the referendum debate "is now in the past tense". He believes Ulster Unionists will "line up behind the leader of the party" as they are voting for a future government.
Mr Morrow of the DUP insists that at least 63 per cent of unionists in the constituency voted against the agreement. If he is proved correct and this is reflected in the Assembly vote, the situation would become more uncomfortable for the UUP.
Mr Foster says that with six unionist candidates, the danger is that first-preference votes will be thinly spread, leading to a heavy reliance on transfers. He warns wavering supporters that if they do not weigh in behind the strongest party, they could be leaving the way open to Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein's Mr Gerry McHugh is confident the party's vote will increase, and three candidates are being put forward. They are expected to win two seats.
In percentage terms Sinn Fein is just marginally ahead of the SDLP. Mr McHugh, a Fermanagh councillor, says that with the PR system "you can get an extra seat with just a few votes".
Even with the famous discipline of Sinn Fein voters, the decision to field three candidates appears to have more to do with the party's long-term aim of consolidating its position as the largest nationalist party in the constituency. One of the Sinn Fein candidates, Mr Pat Treanor, is a councillor in Clones, Co Monaghan and an ardchomhairle member.
The SDLP is fielding two candidates but its chances have not been helped by a split in the local organisation in Dungannon. Supporters of Mr Vincent Currie, a brother of Fine Gael TD Austin and a long-time councillor, are angry that delegates selected Ms Olive Mullen ahead of him.
Ms Mullen, a nurse, is campaigning on health issues, but is relatively unknown. Her husband was murdered by loyalists in the 1970s. Mr Tommy Gallagher, the party's education spokesman, should be elected easily.
The SDLP is likely to lose some votes to Ms Marie Crawley of the Women's Coalition, who is well respected in Fermanagh for her work with women's groups. However, the middle ground does not generally do very well in this constituency as the experience of Alliance shows.
Constituency: Fermanagh & South Tyrone
Candidates: Sam Foster (UUP), Bertie Kerr (UUP), Joan Carson (UUP), Gerry McHugh (Sinn Fein), Pat Treanor (Sinn Fein), Michele Gildernew (Sinn Fein), Tommy Gallagher (SDLP), Olive Mullen (SDLP), Maurice Morrow (DUP), Bert Johnson (DUP), Marie Crawley (Women's Coalition), Stephen Farry (Alliance), Jim Dixon (UK Unionist Party), Simeon Gillan (Natural Law Party).
Westminster Election 1997: UUP 51.48%, Sinn Fein 23.14%, SDLP 22.9%, Alliance 2.02%, Natural Law Party 0.45%. (In the Forum election of 1996, the DUP received 13.69 %.)