London: The prospects of reviving a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, a cornerstone of its peace process, appeared bleak Wednesday with parties still bickering in the last full day of talks.
After three months of squabbling, negotiations between the feuding parties were set to go to the wire.
If they cannot agree to form a semi-autonomous government in Belfast by 4:00pm (1500 GMT) Thursday, then the province will instead be fully governed from London.
But a deal would need to be struck by the end of Wednesday to give the parties time to find ministers ahead of Thursday`s nomination session at the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The power-sharing executive at Stormont is the cornerstone of a peace process that ended three decades of violent conflict in the province.
A collapse of trust led to a March 2 snap election to the assembly, which has powers over matters such as health, education, justice and the province`s economy.
The conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) finished narrowly ahead of Irish socialists Sinn Fein.
DUP negotiator Edwin Poots indicated talks were not running smoothly.
"I can`t say they are easy but nonetheless we want to get Stormont up and running," he said.
"I would encourage Sinn Fein to be mature. No high-wire acts: let`s get down to work, knuckle down and find a way through this."
Sinn Fein accused the DUP of refusing to budge on any of their demands.
"The DUP have not moved on any of the substantive issues which sit at the heart of this crisis," said party chairman Declan Kearney.
Sinn Fein wants legislation on the Irish language, same-sex marriage and does not want DUP leader Arlene Foster to return as first minister.
The DUP believe Sinn Fein have politicised the Irish language, do not back gay marriage and insist Sinn Fein will not be picking their leader.
In London, British Prime Minister Theresa May`s party struck a deal with the DUP on Monday that will afford her Conservatives a slim parliamentary majority.
Northern Ireland will receive an extra £1.0 billion (1.1 billion euros, $1.3 billion) from the state over two years, in return for the DUP backing the British government in confidence votes, passing budgets and Brexit legislation.
But without a functioning executive, local politicians will not determine how the money is spent.
Civil servants have been running Northern Ireland`s ministries in the absence of a functioning executive.
