The Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid this afternoon signed the order to restore devolved government in the North from midnight.
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Northern Ireland Secretary
Dr John Reid |
His action, coming just 24 hours after he suspended the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly, will reset the clock for another six weeks of intense discussions aimed at rescuing the Belfast Agreement.
But fears of a major blow to that process remained, with speculation that the IRA is about to end contact with the decommissioning body.
Dr Reid said: "My intention is that in the course of the next week or two you will see that far from being an impasse, that this short and temporary suspension will have been a platform for us to go forward."
But his optimism was not shared by Sinn Féin which accused him of undermining the faith of nationalists and republicans in the political process.
Ms Bairbre de Brun accused the Secretary of State of showing "an alarming state of complacency" in the face of damage to the credibility of the institutions.
She said: "I think the British government and the Ulster Unionist Party need to understand that nationalists and republicans also have rights.
"We have entitlements and those rights and entitlements can not be drip-fed or withheld either by Tony Blair or David Trimble."
Both governments have stressed that their joint ‘Way Forward’ document, produced after last month's negotiations at Weston Park, was not up for re-negotiation in the weeks ahead.
Mr Cowen said he hoped the anticipated publication of the policing implementation plan next week would act as an impetus to resolving the other unresolved issues.
In a clear reference to the possible IRA threat to break off links with General de Chastelain, Mr Cowen said that all progress made in the last few weeks must be maintained.
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He said: "Whatever concerns or difficulties people have, they must proceed, we believe, with the objective basis set out in relation to the three issues of policing, demilitarisation and stability of the institutions."
He added that all parties must "accept the unequivocal precedence of the De Chastelain Commission to make the objective assessment on making further progress on the arms issue".
Dr Reid's action may have bought the process more time, but the fundamental issue of decommissioning still remains the largest obstacle to progress.
Mr Trimble has insisted that he will not put himself forward for re-election as first minister without actual decommissioning taking place.
PA