The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, told the Assembly Mr Seamus Mallon was being reappointed Deputy First Minister as a result of "chicanery" involving the Alliance Party motion rejecting his resignation and the standing order from the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, allowing this to happen.
"There can't be the slightest doubt that Mr Mallon's resignation was a full-blown resignation," said Mr Robinson.
He said there was a claim that Mr Mallon had not actually resigned but merely "offered" to resign, but this was simply a half-truth. A full reading of Mr Mallon's resignation speech in July in the Assembly proved that he formally resigned, said Mr Robinson.
He repeated his opposition to co-operating with Sinn Fein in the Executive. He said that 601 days after the signing of the Belfast Agreement in April 1998, the IRA had not handed over "one detonator, one ounce of Semtex, or bullet, or one gun".
Mr Cedric Wilson, leader of the Northern Ireland Unionist Party (NIUP), accused Mr David Trimble and his Ulster Unionist Party of "betraying the union". The people who elected the UUP Assembly members would feel "vilely betrayed".
He said Sinn Fein was linked to the IRA which had killed over 1,000 people and maimed and injured thousands more.
He was interrupted by Mr David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party when he began to go into graphic detail about the aftermath of IRA killings.
Mr Ervine said Mr Wilson was not dealing with the motion which referred to the position of Mr Mallon. He indicated that Mr Wilson's comments were irrelevant because Mr Mallon was not involved in any IRA activity.
Mr Gerry Adams then stood up to say: "Not only was Seamus Mallon not involved, but neither was Mr Adams."
Mr Wilson said it would not be lost on the public that it was a loyalist "bomber" who interrupted him to protect Sinn Fein as he was about to describe IRA atrocities. Mr Wilson also claimed that Mr Adams was an IRA commander in Belfast during the IRA Bloody Friday bombings of 1972 in which 11 people were killed.
During the debates yesterday there were a number of references to IRA murderers and attempts to link IRA actions to Sinn Fein. It prompted Sinn Fein Assembly member Mr Alex Maskey to complain to the presiding officer about the use of unparliamentary language.
Lord Alderdice said he would look into the matter.
