STORMONT AND STILL PLAY THE

THE DUP and Sinn Fein once again blamed each other for Stormont’s power-sharing impasse as an unwelcome milestone for nongovernance was passed.

Yesterday marked 589 days since the Executive collapsed – passing Belgium for the world’s longest peacetime period without a properly functioning government.

However, Northern Ireland will avoid an embarrassing entry in the Guinness Book of World Records with the stalemate ruled ineligible as it only relates to a devolved administration.

The public last night had their say with rallies protesting at the lack of political progress held throughout the country.

The DUP had earlier unfurled a banner outside Stormont calling on Sinn Fein to end its “boycott” on governing. Leader Arlene Foster said: “There is only one problem party and let’s call it out – that’s Sinn Fein. And they need to end their boycott here in Northern Ireland.

“I share the frustrations of many today that we don’t have a government here taking decisions on education and on health, on infrastructure and on the future of this country itself.

“So it’s time to get back into government – long past the time to get back into government.”

Mrs Foster repeated her call for Stormont to be restored while a parallel process to resolve outstanding issues is run.

Sinn Fein’s Conor Murphy said the party was dedicated to getting the institutions up and running on a “proper basis”.

Rejecting the notion of a parallel approach, he added the DUP had not been in contact with his party for weeks and engagement prior to that over the