You know the days that will be different at Stormont, you can feel them in the air on the hill – see them as the media presence packs the Great Hall.
In many senses this day was a formality in terms of knowing the steps.
After the resignation of Martin McGuinness a week ago, Sinn Fein would not renominate for the position of Deputy First Minister and Secretary of State James Brokenshire would announce an election.
Brokenshire has not been here for long, but long enough for some to conclude that he is part of the problem, not part of the fix.
Just before noon, DUP leader Arlene Foster appeared in that Great Hall surrounded by party colleagues and talking about an election that was neither needed nor wanted.
That election will happen on March 2nd – when numbers might change but not the issues.
After the counting of the votes, we will return to this crisis point, but not to the same type of political relationships or non-relationships.
Sinn Fein’s Conor Murphy said his party was calling time on institutions that have “zero credibility”.
How do you rebuild from that starting point?
The answer is slowly, not quickly.
This is the penny that is dropping at Stormont. That on the far side of an election there is no certainty that the Executive can be quickly restored.
“I would strongly encourage the political parties to conduct this election with a view to the future of Northern Ireland and re-establishing a partnership government at the earliest opportunity after the poll,” Brokenshire said.
For that to happen “qualitative change” will be needed. This a view expressed today by a senior republican
In the frame of “zero credibility” there is not a partnership at this time that republicans believe is worth saving.
The waiting after the election will be for certainty, but certainty is not something that this place of politics does well. In the weeks ahead, the trenches will become deeper.
The New Agreement that has been talked about in recent days is about the implementation of old agreements on difficult, if not impossible, issues – legacy, Irish Language Act, the Maze/Long Kesh project and for unionists the way that the institutions function.
So, there will be another debate about mandatory coalition versus voluntary coalition.
More discussions about flags and marching, more arguments about a legacy process and the unionist belief that republicans are only interested in re-writing history – more fallout about who can be investigated and who should not be investigated.
There are those who are spooked when it comes to a legacy process and, at some point, the discussion will move to amnesty – or a term less controversial but meaning the same thing.
Then there is this issue of partnership, equals at the top of government – joined up politics not broken up politics.
This is a long term task, not a short term fix.
The new messages, written up and spoken out just a matter of months ago as the way and the work of the DUP/Sinn Fein Executive, would now read like comedy in the hands of the Hole in the Wall Gang.
In an angry play that Executive has disintegrated before our eyes.
Soon, the visiting media will leave Stormont’s hill, just as soon as the news and headlines drain out of this day.
What will be left behind is a political mess, the predicted brutal election campaign and then the long building project to try to restore the institutions.
This may still need outside help.
The political system and process held up to so many others as an example of how to confirm and consolidate peace agreements, fell apart today.
Who can fix it? Who wants to fix it? Is there the political will?
Almost twenty years after Good Friday, these are questions that don’t have answers.
