Northern Ireland's political institutions were tonight suspended for a third time since their inception by the British Government in an attempt to buy more time for IRA disarmament.
Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid confirmed tonight he had signed an order suspending devolved government from midnight tonight.
Amid growing indications from authorities and security sources that the IRA is poised to decommission some of its weapons, Dr Reid said he hoped paramilitaries would take advantage of the next six weeks to deal "once and for all" with the arms question.
Dr Reid, who was travelling to Brussels to meet Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen, tonight to discuss the state of the peace process, said when he adopted a similar measure in August, he was not of the view that it should be repeated.
He explained: "In the past six weeks, however, circumstances have changed.
"First, in breaking the deadlock on policing we have demonstrated that, with time and political will, it is possible to resolve seemingly intractable problems.
Mr Cowen tonight expressed disappointment that the devolved institutions had to be suspended yet again.
In a statement issued before his meeting with Dr Reid in Brussels, Mr Cowen said he would be pressing the British Government to ensure that the period of suspension was as short as possible and with the minimum disruption and delay to the institutions.
"It is disappointing that we should, once again, find ourselves in this situation," he said. "However I understand that the Secretary of State has taken this difficult decision to provide us with extra time in which to build on the progress made in recent weeks.
Stormont finance minister Mr Mark Durkan said: "The alternatives to it would mean that the day after the Executive agreed a draft programme for Government and a draft budget to be put before the Assembly next week, those institutions which were working effectively in the public interest would have been stood down.
"That would have given us a lesser implementation of the Good Friday Agreement rather than bring us towards a fuller implementation.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams tonight condemned Dr Reid's move, accusing the Government of being fixated solely on the issue of arms.
The West Belfast MP said: "John Reid's decision to suspend the institutions has made a bad situation worse.
"Once again, the British Government has stepped outside the Good Friday Agreement in a bid to satisfy insatiable unionist demands.
"Dr Reid's refusal to join with the Irish Government for a review of the Agreement is indicative of a British Government preoccupied with only one issue, that of weapons.
"It is also an indication of his lack of concern for other crucial issues."
The deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Mr Peter Robinson, tonight lambasted Dr Reid for deploying the short-term suspension option.
The East Belfast MP said: "Dr Reid is once again circumventing the law, which requires him to call an election.
"People should have the opportunity to have their say on this process at the ballot box.
"The Secretary of State is afraid of the people and what they might say. We are not."
PA