Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble today defeated party rebels bidding to tie him to a deadline for achieving IRA disarmament.
At a special meeting of the party's ruling council in Belfast delegates voted 409 to 320 to back his strategy aimed at securing the removal of all paramilitary weapons.
The Ulster Unionist leader, who won 56.2 per cent of the vote, will now report back to the council AGM on March 9th on further progress towards decommissioning.
The delegates rejected an amendment from South Antrim MP Mr David Burnside demanding the party review its position in the power sharing Executive on March 9 if the IRA fails to disarm.
Despite being defeated, Mr Burnside insisted the vote had shown "very strong reservations" within the Unionist community.
Fellow hard-liner Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, the Lagan Valley MP, claimed the result had highlighted the deep divisions within the Ulster Unionist Party.
Echoing Mr Burnside's pledge he added: "We have a meeting in March where we will be able to look at what progress has been made on decommissioning."
Mr Burnside had also called for the party to withdraw from cross-border institutions on February 28 if the Province's police service did not retain the royal title, flag and symbols.
An original motion tabled by Honorary Secretary Ms Arlene Foster was removed following last minute talks among anti-Agreement factions.
Ms Foster's motion had called on the party to withdraw from the Power Sharing Executive on March 1 if the IRA hadn't totally destroyed its arsenal.
Mr Trimble had argued imposing such a deadline would let Republicans off the hook. Receiving a standing ovation he insisted that his tactics had achieved a start to decommissioning and he appealed to delegates to trust his leadership.
A total of 729 members crowded into the Waterfront Fall in Belfast for the crucial debate.
The Northern Assembly First Minister was buoyed by support from prominent party members who previously supported the No camp.
Speaking during the debate Mr Trimble claimed the Burnside amendment was more hardline than the original motion and rejected that it was an attempt at a compromise.
PA