Their departure would have the effect of bringing the power-sharing administration to an end, because under the formula set up by the agreement, there must be cross-community approval of all legislative actions.

The political foes face a deadline of Nov. 24 to resume their power-sharing administration, which was suspended four years ago, or return to direct rule of their troubled province from London.

The Northern Ireland secretary, Peter Mandelson, cited the conflict over paramilitary arms as the reason for suspending the power-sharing administration in Belfast and reimposing rule from London.

In the early 1970s, Northern Ireland's politicians were urged to study Lebanon's Covenant by the British government which, in 1974, actually created another power-sharing administration in Belfast.

The agreement was aimed at providing greater stability to the power-sharing administration, avoiding a threatened collapse in the institutions after a lengthy political stand-off on the devolution of the powers.

He said today that he still hoped that the Catholic-Protestant power-sharing administration would become the permanent government of Northern Ireland.

Trimble served as First Minister of Northern Ireland in the power-sharing administration created under the Belfast Agreement.

In January the National Party (NP) government outlined its plans to hand over sovereignty to a power-sharing administration.

At a meeting last October, Britain and Ireland laid out a timetable that foresaw the power-sharing administration being revived Monday.

Australian Proposal The main issue blocking the way then was the nature of a power-sharing administration to govern Cambodia until new elections could be held.