Ulster Unionist Party leader Mr David Trimble met his party colleagues this morning to discuss developments in the peace process, including the party's demand that Sinn Féin be excluded from any new power-sharing executive in Belfast.
The call follows revelations in a Government briefing paper disclosed by UTV on Wednesday following a meeting of the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Council. The secret document said the IRA is still active but suggests this activity - recruitment, training and intelligence-gathering - is designed for defensive reasons only.Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, MP for Lagan Valley, said after this morning's meeting: "There is no evidence, at this stage, that they (IRA) have made any move to demonstrate their commitment to exclusively peaceful and democratic means.
"It is now time to exclude them (Sinn Féin) from ministerial office and to keep them out until such times as the IRA is disbanded."
Mr Trimble yesterday walked out of a meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy, and representatives of all the pro-Belfast Agreement parties over the report.
Mr Trimble has let it be known to the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair and that his continued participation in further talks will depend on the response he gets from London and Dublin.
New talks are likely to be called next month as both governments attempt to reach an agreement to get the executive up and running again by the end of February, in advance of planned new elections to the Stormont Assembly in May.
PA