British environment minister Therese Coffey said an election to Northern Ireland's regional assembly will "definitely" happen, following the refusal of the province's largest pro-British party to drop its boycott of a power-sharing government.
"There is clear emphasis that both our government and the Irish government want the executive to form and we will keep up our efforts to do so," Coffey told Sky News on Friday.
Asked if elections the British government is legally obliged to call within 12 weeks will go ahead, she said: "They will definitely happen." The vote would be the second in six months amid a political deadlock in the region.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, writing by Muvija M)
