Mitchell McLaughlin, peace process may be shattered
David Trimble, words are not enough
"Our view is if you park the peace process there will be no Good Friday Agreement to come back to," Mitchel McLaughlin, chairman of the party, told BBC television in an interview to be broadcast later on Sunday.
"I think we are already in a very deep crisis and clearly each day that we fail to find agreement on setting up the political structures, the political institutions, then that crisis will deepen," he said.
A stalemate over the scrapping of IRA arms has stalled last year's landmark Good Friday agreement, which demanded decommissioning by May 2000.
Weeks of talks between parties have got nowhere and British and Irish prime ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern are likely to resume talks with the leaders of all the province's main parties next week.
Last week, a spokesman for Blair said there was no question of sidelining the peace process but with agreement still elusive, speculation is rife that Blair and Ahern will suspend the agreement for some time rather than risk further damage.
Liz O'Donnell, Irish deputy foreign minister, told the BBC the next two or three weeks would be critical. "I don't think we have the luxury of parking this process, I feel we have to continue," she said.
"Words, while they are fine, are not enough by themselves. There need to be deeds as well," warned UUP leader and Northern Ireland's First Minister David Trimble.
