Without a functioning executive branch, Britain's secretary of state for Northern Ireland, John Reid, will have little choice but to suspend the home-rule government.

Britain had suspended the home-rule government in February after only two months because the Irish Republican Army refused to turn over any of its weapons.

They had suspended the working government on the excuse of taking strong action to hold the Assembly together.

Somare's government retaliates by suspending the provincial government and withholding payments to the province.

On 27 June, President Tandja announced he was suspending the government and would rule by decree.

They hope to force Britain to suspend the new government and restore direct rule from London as it did in a similar situation in 1999.

The British, who consider Mr. Trimble the essential person on the Protestant side in the peace talks, then suspended the government.

Suspending the government in Belfast, he said, is the wrong way to go about it.

The Khasavyurt Accord would again suspend the government on 15 November 1996.

There is also a chance Britain could suspend the government this week, forestalling Mr. Trimble's need to step down.