Elections 'validate' St Andrews deal

Elections in Northern Ireland have "democratically validated" the St Andrews agreement, the British and Irish governments said.

In a joint statement prime minister Tony Blair and taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the political parties in the province had an "opportunity of historic importance" to return to devolved government at Stormont.

The statement said: "The people have spoken and the St Andrews agreement has been democratically validated.

"We can now move to the next step outlined at St Andrews - the restoration of the assembly and the executive.

"The message of the electorate is clear: after so many years of frustration and disappointment, they want Northern Ireland to move on to build a better future together through the devolved institutions.

"Many of the practical issues which have been raised in this election campaign can and should be resolved locally. Elected representatives now have the chance to do so.

"Restoration of the devolved institutions represents an opportunity of historic proportions. It must not be missed.

"We urge the parties to take on this challenge and to set Northern Ireland on a steady course for the future."

Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain said it "really is put up time or shut up time" for politicians in the province.

Hain said a fully-functioning executive would have be in place by the deadline of March 26, or Stormont would be mothballed.

He said: "It is either a functioning executive with powers devolved on March 26 or it's dissolution and the politicians stop getting paid, Stormont closes down and we pack up Northern Ireland politics, maybe for years to come.

"I will be writing to the party leaders and to the new elected MLAs later today explaining what the St Andrews legislation means
because some seem unaware of it.

"There has been a culture of deadlines coming and going in Northern Ireland - sometimes for good reasons - over the last decade.

"We have now got to the point where there has been such transformation and the people have spoken with such force and clarity that it really is put up time or shut up time."

Counting for Wednesday's elections finishes on Friday. The leaders of all four main parties were returned, and the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein had taken the largest share of the votes.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who topped the poll in West Belfast, said the DUP should respect the results.

Those who voted wanted to see devolved government up and running, he said, and "those against that have their answer, it seems, in fairly overwhelming terms".

DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley, who topped the poll in North Antrim, said Sinn Fein had to "turn from their evil ways".