There are no more excuses, says Adams

THERE will be a majority of unionists in the next Northern Ireland Executive if power-sharing returns later this month, it emerged yesterday.

After all 108 seats were filled in the Assembly election, the Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness were on course to be Northern Ireland’s next first and deputy first ministers. However, it was unclear if power-sharing would be in place by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s March 26 devolution deadline.

Even though Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain warned the Assembly would close if parties failed to form a government by the deadline, the DUP continued to insist any decision they made on power-sharing would depend on republicans demonstrating they were actively supporting the Northern Ireland police in their communities.