Assembly to move to elect ministers

The reconvened Northern Ireland Assembly will try to elect a First and Deputy First Minister today.

Even though voting to establish an Executive has little chance of succeeding, it is part of a process for the 108 MLAs recalled and given six months to establish a working power-sharing administration.

The move comes as Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell visits Stormont for talks with senior representatives from all the political parties.

He was invited by Northern Secretary Peter Hain to emphasise the benefits devolution has brought to Scotland.

As the political effort continues, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has called for the Assembly to be scrapped if Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists refuse to share power with republicans.

He has pledged to nominate the DUP leader for the First Minister’s position, but urged London and Dublin to intervene decisively if his party shows no intention of forming a working coalition.

Mr Adams was accused by the DUP of a cheap stunt in backing Mr Paisley as leader of the North's strongest political party for the top post, with Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness his deputy.

But he insisted it was intended to send a message to unionism that political power must be on an equal basis with republicans, and to show his party was prepared to accept Mr Paisley as First Minister.

Mr Adams said: “If my motion on today is unsuccessful we will seek to return to this business at the earliest possible time.

“Understandably there is a lot of scepticism about whether Ian Paisley will ever lead his Democratic Unionist Party into the Executive with the rest of us.

“I think everyone who is committed to the Good Friday Agreement should suspend our scepticism and make a good faith effort to get the Executive up and running.

“If Ian Paisley does not play his part then its over to the two governments to get rid of the Assembly and to proceed with all other aspects of the Agreement. The best way forward however is with local politicians in charge.”

The IRA’s shift away from its armed struggle influenced Mr Hain’s decision to revive the suspended Stormont Assembly.

But the DUP has insisted it would keep the pressure on republicans to prove they had quit violence for good before going back into government.