Peace boost needed for North elections, says Ahern

PROGRESS is needed in the Northern Ireland peace process in the next two weeks if Assembly elections are to go ahead, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday.

Speaking after meeting with the Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, Mr Ahern said if there was movement on all sides it was possible to have an election, a working executive and everything that was in the Good Friday Agreement.

As efforts intensify this week to get the stalled peace process up and running, Mr Ahern warned the time remaining for setting up the elections was short.