Amid Prodding, Sides Trade Accusations

The British and Irish prime ministers pressed Northern Ireland’s politicians to overcome mutual suspicions and form the Protestant and Roman Catholic government at the core of last year’s peace accord. But the threat by British Premier Tony Blair to impose a Wednesday deadline did not seem to move the two key leaders--the Ulster Unionists’ David Trimble and Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams--who continued to accuse each other of inflexibility. Tensions were heightened by a British government-appointed commission’s decision not to allow Northern Ireland’s major Protestant fraternal group to march through a Catholic section of Portadown this weekend.