DUP and SF 'have to move forward'

Peter Hain said there had to be clarity on the issues

Sinn Fein must call a party conference on the issue of policing, the Northern Ireland secretary has said.

Peter Hain also insisted the DUP "should stop saying they will never accept devolution in their political lifetime".

"If they keep saying that, some of their leading figures - not Ian Paisley or Peter Robinson... there is no prospect of moving forward," he said.

The assembly is expected to meet again on Monday to resume proceedings.

They were disrupted by a security alert. It will hear a report on the security implications of Friday's incident at the entrance to Parliament Buildings.

On Friday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern welcomed what he called further clarity from DUP leader Ian Paisley on his intention to accept the position of first minister.

Sinn Fein said Martin McGuinness was its choice for deputy first minister.

If we can get clarity on those issues, then we can move forward to devolution Peter Hain Northern Ireland secretary

However, speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mr Hain said he would not "pretend that what happened on Friday was the best that I had been hoping could have happened".

"But under the circumstances, what we got was that everybody was prepared to move forward on the St Andrews agenda.

"They all agreed to that agenda and we have got the prospect now of devolution in place - but in the end dissolution is the alternative."

He added: "Sinn Fein need to understand that they need to fulfil what they signed up to in paragraph six of the St Andrews Agreement - and that is in the legislation - completely signing up to policing.

"If we can get clarity on those issues, then we can move forward to devolution.

"But if it is not achievable - and it may not be - of course, dissolution and the packing up of Northern Ireland's politicians is what they (the parties) will be responsible for."