Britain urges power-sharing after N Ireland vote

BELFAST, Mar 9 (Reuters) Britain today urged Northern Ireland's politicians to agree to share power after the main Protestant and Catholic parties strengthened their hold in an election viewed as a test of support for joint government.

''It's a very clear message, the anti-power sharing parties were roundly defeated,'' Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain told Ireland's RTE Radio.

''People voted overwhelmingly for power-sharing and now they want the politicians to get on with it,'' said Hain. He repeated Britain's threat to impose indefinite direct rule if the parties did not reach a deal by March 26.

With 72 of 108 seats decided from Wednesday's provincial assembly election, the clear victors were the pro-British and Protestant Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and largely Catholic Sinn Fein, allied to the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The DUP won 25 seats and Sinn Fein 24 seats. Four other parties won 23 seats between them.

The question now is whether the DUP of fundamentalist preacher Ian Paisley will be able to do a deal with Sinn Fein on a government that would bring decision-making back to the province.

There was little support in the election for radical republicans who accuse Sinn Fein of betraying the IRA's three-decade fight against British rule, or for those unionists who believe there should be no talks with anyone linked to the IRA, which wants a united Ireland.

Also sidelined were more moderate parties, whose own attempt at power-sharing collapsed five years ago and left political paralysis. A 1998 peace deal largely ended violence in which 3,600 people were killed.

BLAIR AND AHERN PUSH Britain and Ireland say the assembly will be suspended indefinitely if there is no deal by March 26 with Northern Ireland staying under London's rule with help from Dublin.

The last assembly did not sit even for a full day after it was elected.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams says he is ready for agreement.

''The people have spoken and they have said 'get on with it' and that's what Ian Paisley has to do,'' Adams said yesterday.

Paisley has left the door open to power-sharing -- to the dismay of some former supporters -- but emphasises he must first be convinced of Sinn Fein's commitment to peace.

''Let them foreswear their violence, let them turn a new leaf,'' said Paisley, who has also refused to be bound by a deadline for forming a government.

So many deadlines have come and gone that few suspect this one would not be extended if a deal appeared close.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern have worked for nearly a decade to get a lasting settlement. Blair would like one before he steps down this year.

It would also suit Ahern who faces re-election.

They are expected to meet in Brussels today and discuss Northern Ireland on the sidelines of a European meeting.

REUTERS DKA VC1450