Parties 'must decide ministers'

Peter Hain says parties must decide on ministers

The DUP and Sinn Fein must make their choices for first and deputy first minister on Friday if an election is to be held in March, Peter Hain has said.

The move will fall short of the formal nomination and assembly vote, which the government had initially demanded in the St Andrews Agreement.

But the Northern Ireland secretary said the parties would nevertheless be keeping to the 24 November deadline.

Mr Hain said the move would enable further progress towards devolution.

"It's very important that that indication does happen this Friday, because that was always the deadline and that unlocks the latter process - the subsequent process - which is a transitional assembly, then an election and then the whole devolved government up and running on 26 March.

"Really where we are is in the political endgame," Mr Hain said.

'Deadlines'

On Saturday, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson said his party would not be rushed by government deadlines.

Mr Robinson said there would be no formal designation of shadow first and deputy first ministers at Stormont on 24 November.

But speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme he insisted the political process was moving in the right direction.

He said what remained was to deliver on the progress made so far.

"I expect that what we're talking about is a qualified intention to proceed when all the conditions are in place," Mr Robinson said.

"I think we are making progress and it's clear we made progress at St Andrews, we've made further progress since St Andrews and there is further work to be done.

"On top of the work that has to be done there is the big issue of delivery."