December deadline for North proposals

THE Irish and British governments have given Northern political parties only two weeks to submit proposals for reviewing the Good Friday Agreement.

Government sources confirmed last night that replies on the review would have to be in by December 31.

The deadline is part of a strategy by the government for a review that will be short, sharp and focused. While no timeframe has been agreed, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are hopeful a review mechanism could be in place by Easter 2004. Both again insisted that there would be no renegotiation of the Agreement.