WESTMINSTER extended the deadline for a Northern Ireland power-sharing agreement yesterday, ruling out a second snap election.

As republicans and unionists traded accusations, Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said they had only a “short window of opportunity” to bury the hatchet.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, he said there was “an overwhelming desire” for strong and stable devolved government.

Sinn Fein leader Michelle O’Neill asked other parties to cancel a special sitting of the Stormont Assembly yesterday morning after talks broke down on Sunday.

Ms O’Neill said there could be no return to power-sharing unless the unionists and the British government honoured previous agreements.

“An executive can only operate on the basis of equality, respect and integrity and that must include the honouring of agreements made,” she said.

“The DUP and others who have blocked rights and equality provisions need to realise there can be no return to the status quo.”

But DUP leader Arlene Foster said the republicans’ “inflexible” attitude was to blame.

“We wonder whether Sinn Fein were serious about reaching agreement at this time,” she said.

“We respect everybody’s mandates, let me make that very clear, but if we wanted to form an executive, then there had to be a spirit of compromise and unfortunately that didn’t exist.”

Ms Foster was forced to step down as first minister in January after late Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness quit as her deputy over the white elephant Renewable Heat Initiative scheme — among other issues.

The DUP remained the largest party in the March 2 elections — just ahead of Sinn Fein — but for the first time it and UUP were outnumbered by republicans Sinn Fein and the SDLP.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood reiterated his call for the appointment of an independent mediator to facilitate talks. Outgoing UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said the talks process was a “shambles.”

Communist Party of Ireland chair Lynda Walker said: “We constantly see problems in relation to power-sharing and government at regional level.

“We take very small steps at a time, and the only thing to do is wait and see what kind of positive outcomes can be had.

“It may be that civil society organisations like the trade unions will have to shift considerably.”