Interesting times ahead in the North as elections approach

A WEEK is a long time in politics. A week is twice as long in Northern Ireland politics. The next few weeks will be particularly interesting.

Whatever else happens, it appears that the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, which are now due to be held at the end of May, will go ahead.

So while the party leaders were absorbed in frantic negotiations to clarify whether "the war is over" the backroom teams of the various parties were busy putting the final touches to their postering and publicity campaigns for the electoral battle ahead.