Ulster on brink of self-rule

Northern Ireland took a huge step towards peace today as a deal was sealed to revive its power-sharing government.

The IRA was set to disclose that it has decommissioned more of its weapons. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams pledged to work for an end to "physical force republicanism".

Downing Street said elections to the Province's devolved assembly would be held on 26 November.

Tony Blair's official spokesman said: "Potentially this could be the most significant day in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement."

Mr Blair left No 10 on his way to Belfast - his first public outing since he was rushed to hospital with chest pains on Saturday - backing claims by his officials that he has returned to "full throttle".

The Prime Minister was set to be joined by his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern, who declared: "What we are doing today is of huge significance."

The two leaders were approving a carefully choreographed sequence of events designed to show that the main parties in the Province have put their differences behind them.

Independent weapons commissioner General John de Chastelain was preparing to state that he had witnessed a third significant act of disarmament by the IRA.

A follow-up statement from IRA commanders was expected to go further than ever before in committing the paramilitary group to working peacefully, although it was not expected to disband.

The peace deal comes a year after the Stormont Assembly and Executive were suspended, after Unionists walked out following the discovery of an alleged IRA spy ring.

Today's breakthrough follows weeks of intense private negotiations between Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and Mr Adams, in which the two men were said to have formed a closer working relationship.

In a speech today Mr Adams praised the IRA for maintaining a ceasefire for almost a decade.

He said: "Actions, and the lack of actions on the ground, speak louder than words and I believe that everyone, including the two governments and the Unionists, can now move forward with confidence.

"We are opposed to any use or threat of force for any political purpose."

And he delivered a plea to two armed republican splinter groups, the Continuity IRA and Real IRA, to abandon violence and join the move to peace.

The biggest potential stumbling block emerged as the threat of defeat for Mr Trimble in the 26 November elections.

If his party is beaten by Ian Paisley's hardline DUP, the power-sharing executive will collapse once more and the peace process will be plunged back into crisis.

Mr Blair's aides hoped that the highprofile events in Belfast would "draw a line" under the weekend drama which saw the Prime Minister spend 20 minutes under heavy sedation in hospital for electric shock treatment on his irregular heartbeat.

Even yesterday, when he was said to be "taking it easy" with lighter duties in Downing Street, he was in regular telephone contact with Mr Ahern to push for a settlement to the remaining sticking points.

There were reports today that Mr Blair believed his heart scare may have been triggered by drinking too much coffee at last week's EU summit in Brussels.

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