Dr Mo Mowlam has given the North's political leaders a deadline of the middle of next week to resolve the decommissioning dispute which is holding up the formation of the executive.
The Northern Secretary said she did not know how the deadlock could be broken but she would call a meeting of the Assembly for next Wednesday or Thursday to trigger the d'Hondt mechanism which should lead to the selection of members of the executive. The talks would have to be over before then, she said.
Sinn Fein welcomed Dr Mowlam's announcement and said the onus lay on Mr David Trimble. The party yesterday held a picket outside Ulster Unionist headquarters in Belfast in protest at what it said was unionist "stalling of the peace process".
Mr Trimble has again insisted there must be a start to decommissioning before Sinn Fein can enter the executive. The First Minister yesterday met the Rev Ian Paisley to discuss unionist tactics on decommissioning. The DUP leader said while he was unsure if there would be "a fudge" by others, the DUP would take a firm line on the arms issue.
Intensive negotiations will resume next week with the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister expected in Belfast on Monday. At Stormont yesterday, Dr Mowlam said: "None of the party leaders, I believe, wants to see all that we have achieved in the past year collapse. Quite the reverse, but no one should underestimate just how difficult and deeply worrying the present situation is.
"All parties have to take responsibility to resolve the present impasse. Everyone has to take another step to find an accommodation. I think it would be criminal to let the process towards a nonviolent, peaceful future be lost now - no one would forgive us."
She admitted that after a week of intensive meetings at Stormont between the parties and representatives of both governments, "fundamental differences" remained. Dr Mowlam said no one should underestimate the importance of next week. She did not have "a plan B" but expressed confidence that progress would be made by the politicians. "This is going to have to be the time when they have to face up to finding a way forward together - I believe they will do it."
If the parties asked for an extra few hours or half-day for negotiations it would be provided, but she did not want to give the impression that she was prepared to move the deadline back. Those who talked about delay to gain a review of the Belfast Agreement rather than implement it were providing for a potentially difficult and dangerous situation.
"We face the parades, we face the Euro election which will be a politically difficult backdrop and there is the potential for unravelling which nobody wants." Welcoming Dr Mowlam's announcement, Mr Gerry Adams said Mr Trimble must now implement the Belfast Agreement. The First Minister had to "work with Sinn Fein, the two governments and the other parties to overcome outstanding problems and move into the next stage of the peace process - the establishment of the executive and all-Ireland bodies."
Mr Adams restated his preparedness to "stretch republicans further" but he wanted the UUP and other parties to "stretch with us and to work in partnership with us to move the peace process forward".