Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern have given Ulster's political parties until November 24 to agree on the restoration of devolution.

In a keynote joint declaration issued at an event in Armagh, the British and Irish premiers set out their proposals for ending the current political stalemate.

However the plans were shaken earlier this week by the news that Denis Donaldson, the Sinn Fein official who admitted to being a British spy for 20 years, had been murdered.

Despite the setback, Blair said the moment had come for Northern Ireland's politicians to make the "ultimate decision".

"Today we have the responsibility of deciding over the next nine months whether we can make the future work," he said.

And, in an apparent reference to the killing of Donaldson, Blair warned that extremists seeking to undermine the process should not be allowed to prevail.

Ahern said the plan offered the "best opportunity" to restore devolution.

Timetable

Under the proposals the Stormont assembly will be recalled on May 15.

MLAs will have the six weeks before the summer break to elect a first minister and deputy first minister.

If that fails, as it is expected to, then there will be a further 12 weeks period after the summer recess in which Ulster's politicians will be under enormous pressure to form the executive.

In the event that there is no agreement by November 24 the two governments said there would be no purpose in a further election either then or as scheduled in May 2007.

At that point the UK would introduce emergency legislation to cancel salaries and allowances for MLAs, with the restoration of devolution left on hold until there is a clear political willingness to reach agreement.

With devolution in the deep freeze, the two governments would take "joint stewardship" of the process, with a British-Irish partnership process.

Blair said "this is a framework that only works if the parties choose to use it as proof of good faith".

Wrangles

The British prime minister said that in the eight years since the Good Friday agreement there had been "endless wrangles".

But he said that the core of the problem was a lack of trust between the two opposing sides.

Blair said he had asked for "acts of completion", resulting in the IRA's announcement that its armed struggle had ended.

Unionists should show they are serious about issues such as equality and sharing power.

And republicans should address the unionist community's concerns about continued links to violent activities.

"Now I feel, after months of desultory discussion, there is a renewed willingness to break the deadlock that uncertainty has imposed," added Blair.

Local decision

Blair also sought to put the emphasis on the people of Northern Ireland to encourage their politicians to co-operate.

"The essence of the Good Friday agreement is valid," he said.

"The question is, do the political parties in Northern Ireland lead its implementation, or do the two governments, per force, have to step into the breach?

"Stasis is not an option. The option is whether the dynamic is driven by a hale and hearty democratic mandate derived from people or by a necessarily more rigid will imposed from outside."

He added: "Getting to here has taken many painful decisions. But in any process, there is always the ultimate decision, and it is yours, the people of Northern Ireland, to take."

Blair said that local political leaders "have the power to decide".

"I simply ask that people use it wisely," he added.