The new institutions can only work if the will is there, and that will is being sapped among unionists. One of the strengths of the Agreement was that it was sold as an alternative to violence. The continuation of violence diminishes its credibility. One businessman who carried victims to waiting ambulances said he had voted Yes. Not after what I saw today.
Unionists however are less likely to differentiate.
That is crucial, because it makes life more difficult for Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble who needs to bring Sinn Fein into government if the Assembly is to succeed. In the past, Mr Trimble has been able to buy time by stalling, and hoping memories of the last atrocity are dim enough to take a risk. Yet there is no room for delay. The Assembly meets on September 14, and it is expecting a report from First Minister Trimble and his deputy, Seamus Mallon, on the consultation process. Sinn Fein is entitled to a minimum of two places on the executive.