Chris Heaton-Harris mentioned he’ll define his subsequent steps in Parliament subsequent week.
Mr Heaton-Harris is obliged to name an election inside 12 weeks of October 28 when the deadline for the Northern Eire events to kind a recent government ran out.
He met Stormont events earlier this week, in addition to Irish Overseas Affairs Minister Simon Coveney.
Hypothesis was heightened on Wednesday after Steve Baker, a junior minister within the Northern Eire Workplace, insisted the date for a Northern Eire election will likely be confirmed quickly.
However in an announcement on Friday morning, Mr Heaton-Harris mentioned he had listened to considerations concerning the impression and the price of an election presently.
“I can now affirm that no Meeting election will happen in December, or forward of the festive season,” he mentioned within the assertion..
“Present laws requires me to call a date for an election to happen inside 12 weeks of October 28 and subsequent week I’ll make an announcement in Parliament to put out my subsequent steps.”
He added: “My goal, what the individuals of Northern Eire deserve, is the restoration of a powerful, devolved authorities.
“My obligation is to create the fitting surroundings for the events in Northern Eire to work collectively to revive the devolved establishments and ship on essential points impacting Northern Eire’s individuals.
“I don’t take this obligation flippantly, nor do I overlook the very actual considerations individuals have round their price of residing.”
A DUP boycott of the devolved establishments, in protest at Brexit’s Northern Eire Protocol, has prevented an administration being shaped within the wake of the election end result.
Whereas the UK Authorities is now underneath a obligation to name a recent election inside 12 weeks, it may amend laws at Westminster that might both lengthen or take away that point restrict.
The Authorities has vowed to safe adjustments to the protocol, both by a negotiated compromise with the EU or by proposed unilateral home laws, the Northern Eire Protocol Invoice, which might empower ministers to scrap the preparations with out the approval of Brussels.
The European Fee has mentioned the latter method would breach the phrases of a global treaty and doubtlessly immediate retaliatory motion.
Reacting to Mr Heaton-Harris’s assertion, DUP chief Sir Jeffrey Donaldson known as for a “razor sharp give attention to getting an answer, whether or not by negotiation or laws” to the protocol.
“There isn’t any strong foundation for a totally functioning Stormont till NIP is changed with preparations that unionists can help. Progress in NI solely made when unionists & nationalists are aboard,” he tweeted.
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