The newly elected leaders of the North's power-sharing Executive have pledged to provide a stable administration despite an angry confrontation between pro- and anti-Agreement Assembly members at Stormont yesterday.
The Executive became fully functioning again as Mr David Trimble and Mr Mark Durkan were elected to the positions of First and Deputy First Minister respectively. But minutes later, scuffles broke out between DUP members and SDLP and Sinn FΘin members.
RUC and security guards moved in to keep the groups apart. Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan, who failed to be elected last Friday because they lacked the support of a majority of unionist Assembly members, succeeded after the redesignation as "unionist" of three Alliance members and a member of the Women's Coalition.
A total of 99 Assembly members voted yesterday with 70 in favour. A total of 38 nationalists voted Yes plus 31 unionists - they included the three Alliance members and the member of the Women's Coalition - and one member designated as "other".
Twenty-nine unionists voted No, including the DUP, members of the smaller anti-Agreement parties, and the dissident Ulster Unionist, Mr Peter Weir. The DUP had attempted to stall the vote because another dissident UUP member, Ms Pauline Armitage, had been attacked and threatened at her home.
Ms Armitage, who contributed to Mr Trimble's defeat last Friday, did not attend yesterday's Assembly meeting and the DUP asked for the vote to be postponed because of her situation. The request was turned down by the Speaker, Lord Alderdice.
After their election, Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan attempted to give a press conference outside the chamber but were heckled by DUP members. There were then physical clashes between DUP members, Sinn FΘin members and an SDLP member. Both sides blamed each other for starting the trouble.
The Rev Ian Paisley said the disturbances were "the work of Sinn FΘin thugs" who had nothing to offer democracy.
The Sinn FΘin chief whip, Mr Alex Maskey, blamed the DUP for creating an "unseemly mΩlΘe" at Stormont.
"These disgraceful scenes typify the wreckers' approach of the DUP. It will not succeed in deflecting the majority of us who wish to see an end to conflict."
An SDLP minister, Mr Seβn Farren, also condemned the DUP. "This party came into politics to wreck. What we witnessed was their anger and frustration but it also demonstrated the vast majority of people will not be defeated by bully-boy tactics."
An Ulster Unionist Assembly member, Ms Joan Carson, said: "The antics of the DUP have sullied the image and reputation of this Assembly and Northern Ireland. The television pictures broadcast around the world today will not show another bold new dawn for Northern Ireland but instead scenes that could have been recorded 30 years ago."
Mr Trimble said the clashes showed the ugly side of some political parties.
"We will not allow ourselves to be distracted by the sort of mob violence some parties descended to," he said.
The Alliance leader, Mr David Ford, said he hoped the North was moving away from "bully-boy sectarian politics".
However, a DUP minister, Mr Nigel Dodds, said the election of the First and Deputy First Ministers - possible only with the redesignation of Alliance and Women's Coalition members - lacked credibility.