DUP politicians are due to hold a meeting outside Belfast this week that will be used to clear the air over tensions in the party on whether to press ahead with the implementation of the St Andrews Agreement, party sources have confirmed.
The gathering of Assembly members, MPs, peers and the single MEP, Jim Allister, will address a number of issues, said a senior party source.
DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley is also likely to use the meeting to reinforce the notion of party unity and discipline.
Dr Paisley has signalled his willingness to share power with Sinn Féin if republicans, chiefly, sign up to policing and the law and order, which has raised concerns among hardline elements within the party.
Dr Paisley said yesterday that on Monday he pressed British prime minister Tony Blair on his demand that "IRA/Sinn Féin" must now support and maintain support for the PSNI and law enforcement.
"The day of delaying, putting off and refusing to act must end once and for all. Now is the time for action to take place. The St Andrews Agreement is not a one-way street. There is a part of that street that Sinn Féin must walk," he added.
"If they fail to do so it will be manifest that they intend to cling to their lawlessness rather than their duty to lawfulness. The people of Ulster will give them their answer if that is the case," said Dr Paisley.
The DUP MP for East Derry, Gregory Campbell - who was one of 12 signatories to a DUP statement on Friday that was construed as challenging Dr Paisley - warned yesterday that any British government acceptance of Mr McGuinness as deputy first minister designate "will be the signal for a massive derailment of the process".
He added that a heavily conditional Sinn Féin move on policing would not work and that "all potential ministers (and their parties) in any government have to be committed to the rule of law".
"Reports that Sinn Féin are considering their timing of any move on policing for January, with heavy conditionality, will create further cynicism and outrage as to their real intentions in the run-up to any elections in March," added Mr Campbell.
DUP MP for Upper Bann David Simpson, who was also one of the statement signatories, said the British government should now make it possible to establish a Northern Executive that would exclude Sinn Féin.
Mr Simpson added: "Such a move by government may result in a combination of other parties forming an Executive with no regard for the DUP - that is the risk with democracy.
"It may result in the DUP forming an Executive with other parties in Stormont - again that is normal politics. However, Sinn Féin's refusal to fully democratise must not be allowed to hold back Northern Ireland any longer."
Meanwhile, the UDA has denied having any prior knowledge about loyalist Michael Stone's attack at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, last Friday.
The loyalist paramilitary organisation also denied one report that it sent out armed squads to try to intercept or shoot Stone on Friday.
