The North's deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, has expressed his deep frustration at the failure to appoint a shadow executive and meet the October 31st deadline for its formation.
Mr Mallon told Assembly members at Stormont that despite efforts, next Saturday would pass without the formation of the executive - an integral part of the Belfast Agreement - and also without the inaugural meetings of the North-South ministerial council and of the British-Irish council.
The impasse over the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons was to blame, said Mr Mallon, underscoring a rift between himself and the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, on the formation of the executive. "This is the price we are paying for the deadlock over decommissioning and it is a very high price. The will of the people has been denied," he said.
Mr Trimble is insisting that the IRA must decommission its weapons before Sinn Fein can take up its posts in the power-sharing executive.
Mr Mallon said it remained "uncertain" as to when the executive and other structures, as agreed in the Belfast Agreement, would be established.
He said a "redoubling of efforts was needed to put back momentum into the peace process".
"When I consider the many problems facing Northern Ireland I feel a deep sense of frustration and I believe that frustration is shared by all members of this Assembly." He added: "We can hold debates and pass motions, but if we want to be taken seriously then we must face up to, and resolve with urgency, the immediate issues blocking the way to the formation of the executive, not just decommissioning, but agreeing the structures of government and areas for North-South co-operation." He said the decommissioning could not be forced.
"We are politicians. It is our responsibility to solve problems. Failure is not an option, and if failure is not an option then success is our only destination." However, Mr Mallon told Assembly members that progress had been made on the formation of the proposed civic forum. He suggested that there had been agreement that the new body would be limited to 50 members and would concentrate on economic and cultural matters.