N. Ireland powers returned

The peace process is deadlocked over lack of progress on paramilitary disarmament

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Northern Ireland's regional assembly has been reinstated -- 24 hours after it was shut down to save the body from collapse.

The UK's Northern Ireland Secretary, John Reid, returned powers to Belfast at midnight local time (2300GMT) on Saturday.

The assembly was first suspended -- again for 24 hours -- six weeks ago after a crisis sparked by the resignation of assembly leader David Trimble.

Under the laws which created the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly, it must be suspended and power handed back to London if it goes more than six weeks without a leader.

Suspending the assembly's powers for 24 hours gives parties across the political divide a further six weeks to strike a deal.

Reid said: "I have decided in the light of the discussions to lift the suspension of the institutions with effect from midnight."

The assembly is a cornerstone of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord designed to end 30 years of sectarian conflict.

Trimble quit as first minister in July in protest at the Irish Republican Army's failure to fully disarm. He has said he will not run for re-election unless the IRA starts handing over weapons.

Protestants have refused to nominate another leadership candidate unless the IRA starts to disarm.

In August, the coalition was suspended for 24 hours in order to allow another six weeks of negotiations aimed at finding a solution to the crisis.

The deadline for a leadership vote had been midnight on Saturday, but if power is restored to the assembly on Sunday, political leaders would have until November 3 before the next six-week deadline expires.

Trimble told The Associated Press news agency that his Protestant supporters wanted the assembly suspended, with London taking direct control of Northern Ireland for an indefinite period.

He ridiculed claims by the local media that the IRA might disarm soon if Trimble's party relented.

Trimble has twice formed governments with Sinn Fein, the republican political party, on the condition that the IRA begin to disarm.

Trimble's Ulster Unionist party complain that August's one-day suspension did not put enough pressure on the IRA and Sinn Fein to co-operate.

The IRA said on Wednesday it would resume talks with disarmament officials on the condition that the Ulster Unionists kept the assembly afloat.

Meanwhile Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams criticised both the Ulster Unionists and the Social Democratic and Labour party for agreeing to take part in new proposals for Northern Ireland's predominantly Protestant police force.

Britain had set Thursday as the deadline for each government party to decide whether it would support a cross-community board to reshape the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Sinn Fein confirmed it would refuse to take its place on the board, complaining that reforms did not offer sufficiently radical change, said AP.

Trimble condemned the proposals for the force as "gratuitously offensive," suggesting the only reason the Ulster Unionists were taking part was to limit the pace of the reforms, reported the news agency.