Clinton message to NI executive

The future of the Stormont government is uncertain

United States President Bill Clinton has called on Northern Ireland's politicians not to give up on the Good Friday Agreement peace accord.

Mr Clinton, whose presidency is due to end following the US presidential election in three weeks, said he hoped to visit Northern Ireland soon.

In an article for Friday's Belfast Telegraph newspaper, the president said full implementation of the agreement would make Northern Ireland "a beacon of hope for those who struggle for reconciliation and peace in every corner of the world - from the Balkans to the Middle East".

Mr Clinton made his appeal against a backdrop of political uncertainty in the province.

The future of the assembly executive is uncertain, with a crucial meeting of the Ulster Unionist Party's ruling council next Saturday, 28 October.

Bill Clinton: Appeal to Northern Ireland parties

There is, as yet, no formal motion for the delegates but it is clear they will be asked to pull their ministers out of the executive in the absence of IRA decommissioning and what they see as further concessions on policing by party dissidents who called for the meeting.

If Mr Trimble loses the policy battle on continuing to work in the powersharing executive with Sinn Fein in the absence of IRA disarmament, his leadership could be in doubt.

But speaking on Friday, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon said he was confident Mr Trimble would survive the Ulster Unionist Council meeting.

"If anyone is interested in a little wager I'll take it here and now.

"I think those who would be looking at the various crises should be looking elsewhere," he said.

Meanwhile, the assembly and executive have been continuing work.

The executive has announced plans to publish its Programme for Government next Tuesday when it will outline the ministers' priorities for the coming years.

Earlier this week finance minister Mark Durkan announced his spending plans in what has been described as Northern Ireland's first "home-grown" budget since devolution.

Mr Durkan, of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, described the budget as an "important step" in implementing the Good Friday Agreement.

Finance minister Mark Durkan: Holds purse strings

He revealed how more than £5.7bn will be split among the government departments in Northern Ireland in the year ahead.

Meanwhile in a separate development, the anti-agreement Democratic Unionist Party has tabled a motion calling on the first and deputy first minister to appoint an official representative of the Protestant Orange Order to the Civic Forum.

The 60-member forum is a consultative body, established under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, and is intended to shadow the work of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The forum allows people from outside the party political sphere to influence decisions. Its remit is purely consultative.

Although individual Orangemen have seats on the body, which met for the first time earlier this month, the Order is not officially represented.

The Order said it was writing to Prime Minister Tony Blair to complain about the issue and its Grand Lodge spoke of its "regret and disappointment" at not having an official representative.

Solicitor Richard Monteith, who is a prominent member of the Lurgan lodge of the Orange Order and who was involved in a failed mediation effort during the Drumcree marching stand-off earlier this year, is among the appointees.