The leader of the Ulster Democratic party has said the deadlock over the weapons decommissioning issue must be broken

His comments were made in the New York based newspaper, the Irish Voice, on Wednesday.

The weekly newspaper caters for an Irish and Irish American readership.

Mr McMichael's party is linked to the paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association.

In the article he said that every time the issue of arms decommissioning is returned too, it became harder to deal with.

"Each time we set out a route forward, it is in an environment of increased expectation and when these expectations are not met it throws us into crisis once again.

"This vicious circle must be broken or it will destroy the peace process," he said.

In a matter of days, the legislation will be passed in the House of Commons which could mean the suspension of the fledgling Northern Ireland power-sharing government.

A suspension of the assembly is designed to prevent the First Minister and leader of the Ulster Unionists, David Trimble, from resigning and collapsing the process.

Mr Trimble pledged to his party last year that he would quit if the IRA had not started decommissioning its arsenal by the end of January, saying that there cannot be an "armed peace".

But Sinn Fein say that the IRA never gave a commitment to decommissioning and that the assembly has given republicans, nationalists and unionists the chance to build their first ever working relationship.

The legislation is expected to clear the Commons by Tuesday night before moving to the House of Lords on Thursday. It will receive Royal Assent on Friday.

That would enable Mr Mandelson to suspend the assembly before Saturday's crucial meeting of the ruling council of the Ulster Unionist Party.

However, in the article Mr McMichael warned that the IRA did not react well to deadlines set by others.

He said: "I know the IRA does not react well to deadlines set by others, but if that is at the root of the crisis then I think this is as bad as it would be if they had only appointed an interlocutor as a bluff.

"To throw everything that has been achieved because of bloody mindedness would be unforgivable."

"The nationalist and unionist peoples have been given a great gift."