Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid has announced the suspension of power-sharing and the return to direct rule by London.
Speaking in Belfast this morning, the Northern Secretary said the British government thought it would be "a short-lived impasse".
Dr Reid blamed a loss of trust on both sides of the community for the difficulties currently facing the process. "The time has come for people to face up to the choice between violence and democracy," he said.
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Dr Reid said the date for next May's elections to the Assembly still stood.
"We have come an enormous distance in recent years. The peace process and the Agreement have increased prosperity, revitalised society, safeguarded rights and, above all, saved lives. I am determined that these benefits should not be lost, but should increase," Dr Reid said.
"The Agreement remains a template for political process here in Northern Ireland. I hope the decision I have taken today marks a breathing space - a chance to gather strength - before that process moves forward once again".
The open-ended suspension will come into effect at midnight and will not affect the next election date of May 1st.
Dr Reid appointed two Labour MPs to his ministerial team in Belfast.
It is the fourth time the devolved government has been suspended, in what many observers say is the worst crisis facing the Northern Ireland peace process since the Belfast Agreement of 1998.