The Rev Martin Smyth yesterday urged Ulster Unionist Council members to rally behind him today in favour of the Union and to ensure the party made future electoral gains.
Such a move could also lead to some of the smaller unionist parties coalescing with the Ulster Unionist Party, he predicted.
In an eve-of-election press conference, Mr Smyth repeated that UUP leader Mr David Trimble's remarks in Washington about possibly re-entering government with Sinn Fein ahead of IRA decommissioning, but based on guarantees of arms, signalled a further surrendering of the principle of no guns, no government.
Mr Smyth, flanked by his wife, Kathleen, MPs Mr William Ross and Mr William Thompson, Union First members Mr Peter King and Ms Arlene Foster and Larne councillor Mr Tom Robinson, said he would accept the outcome of today's poll of the 860-member council, even if he lost.
This commitment, however, was contingent on no deviation from the demand for prior IRA decommissioning, he added. Asked would he row in behind Mr Trimble's leadership if he (Mr Smyth) lost today he said, "provided he does not continue to go down a road that gives terrorists without weapons up front a role in government. I am afraid I could not surrender that basic principle of democracy."
The South Belfast MP and former Orange Order leader believed he could win. "I believe I have many, many people in the Ulster Unionist Party supporting me, and there is every chance that the pundits will be proved wrong that I am yesterday's man. I believe I will have a strong possibility of winning the vote. There is a 50-50 chance, and I believe there will be a surprising result, and I will be prepared to accept it whichever way it comes."
Mr Smyth said the more Mr Trimble appeared to clarify his Washington remarks the more confusion he created.
"He did not clear the air at any level, and the more he has spoken on the issue, and those who try to say he has strengthened his position leave me wondering about the use of the English language."
He said the post-dated resignation note from Mr Trimble issued at the council meeting, which in November endorsed the party going into government with Sinn Fein ahead of IRA decommissioning, was a deliberate ploy. He did not view it as a genuine pledge to resign if the IRA did not start disarming.
This was borne out by the Northern Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson "rescuing" Mr Trimble by suspending the executive in February.
Mr Smyth criticised US and European governments who deplored Austria for electing a rightwing party yet could support Sinn Fein in an executive even though the IRA had not handed over weapons.
"There is something basically inconsistent to try to impose upon the democratic community those in government who come with the force of arms."
Those who claimed he was not prepared to work with republicans in any circumstances should remember that in 1993 he said that if "they went down the road of peace" there were many who could co-operate with them in government.
Asked how his policies above those of Mr Trimble's could achieve IRA decommissioning, Mr Smyth said he was convinced the security forces in the North and South knew where most of the paramilitary arms were. To a proposal that pro-agreement UUP members would put forward a candidate to try to deprive him of his South Belfast seat in the next general election, he said he succeeded in seeing off similar challenges in several other elections.
He suggested unionists could not be constrained from voting for candidates who fitted their opinions.
It was "a lot of bunkum" for his opponents to claim his campaign was really about keeping nationalists out of government.
Asked did he favour power-sharing or majority rule, Mr Smyth said: "I believe there is a place for partnership government. I have not gone to the position of the late (unionist MP) Johnny McQuade who in an intervention during a debate in Westminster many years ago said, `I will share power when they pay the gas bills'."
