Lack of genuine partnership is threatening the entire peace process, Alliance Party leader David Ford added.

His party has been tipped to take the justice ministry if Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists reach agreement on devolving security powers from London to Belfast.

Mr Ford told his party's annual conference: "Some politicians don't seem to realise that their antics don't just threaten the political institutions, they threaten the entire peace process and give succour to the men of violence."

Mr Ford told delegates in Antrim: "Alliance has always been prepared to work constructively, to do what is right, not what is popular. While I recognise that other parties have done the same at different times, it has far too often been in an atmosphere of brinkmanship, provocation and confrontation.

"Such behaviour shows that we have only a kind of pseudo-stability in our politics, not genuine partnership."

Sinn Fein are under pressure from the DUP to do a deal on overhauling the Parades Commission, which rules on controversial Loyal Order parades. But republicans face calls to support the Commission from critics like the nationalist SDLP.

Mr Ford added: "We have an Executive which is dysfunctional, operating to a weak and insubstantial programme for government. It is not very good at implementing that programme and well-nigh incapable of agreeing anything else. Where issues were not agreed in the programme, we have total chaos."

He said an Alliance justice minister could be relied on to do a good and fair job. "But, in the present set-up, that minister would have to have policy agreement among a critical mass of MLAs and Executive ministers if they were to have a chance of delivering what the people expect," he added.

"Remember that this is not merely about the institutions of justice. For us, no Executive is worth supporting if it is not engaging seriously with building a shared future. We need to see a meaningful consultation on the cohesion, sharing and integration strategy and swift action to implement that strategy across every department and public agency."