Northern Ireland's Assembly convened this morning for the first time since power sharing was suspended in October 2002.
In the latest effort to broker a deal that will lead to power sharing, the North's 108 elected MLAs held a short meeting at Stormont.
Rev Ian Paisley arriving at Stormont this morning
The new Speaker is the Alliance Party's Eileen Bell, who has taken over from Lord Alderdice. She read a statement from Northern Secretary Peter Hain, who now has enhanced powers over Northern Ireland following the enactment of recent legislation - including the authority to delay the next scheduled Assembly election or scrap it altogether.
This was followed by a minute's silence in memory of Ballymena teenager Michael McIlveen, who died a week ago today after being killed in a sectarian attack. Events in the chamber were not expected to take long, and there no debate was planned.
Politicians have been given until November 24th by Dublin and London to form a multi-party Executive at Stormont. If they have not done so by then, the Assembly will be wound up and salaries cancelled, leading to a "Plan B" by the governments to govern the North.
The last elections to the Assembly took place November 2003. Power sharing was suspended by then-Northern Secretary John Reid in October 2002, shortly after allegations of a Republican spy ring operating in Stormont.
Denis Donaldson was outed last year as a British spy working inside Sinn Féin for 20 years.
Mr Donaldson, who said late last year the spy ring allegation was concocted by British intelligence, was murdered in his Co Donegal cottage earlier this year.
The new assembly's largest grouping is the Rev Ian Paisley's DUP, with Sinn Féin the second largest followed by the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and the Alliance Party. UK Unionist leader Robert McCartney, Progressive Unionist leader David Ervine and independents Paul Berry and Dr Kieran Deeny hold the remaining seats.
Therefore, the DUP and Sinn Féin must share power if an executive is to be formed.
Dr Paisley has stated that no political progress was possible until Sinn Féin backed the PSNI. But Sinn Féin is unlikely to commit to joining the Policing Board until it has guarantees that the DUP will enter government with it.
Speaking after today's meeting Dr Paisley said: "Let me make it very clear . . . that this party will not have any association in government with any party that has links to terrorism, links to murders and links to crimes.
"If I could get the last drop of blood from the Republic stone I would get it, with no apology," he added.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said: "We are very, very focused. This will not be a talking shop." He said his party wanted to enter government as soon as possible.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern welcomed this morning's meeting and said it was "good to see elected politicians sitting down in the same room again."
"The politicians have the power to form a new government and they should use that power as soon as possible."
While admitting that Dr Paisley's comments were disappointing he said it was understandable that people would state their position on the opening day but they should now work to get to a collective position on restoring power sharing.