Nigeria politicians should stop behaving like children and learn from New York State Senate problem. Ekiti had a 13/13 deadlock, New york has a 31/31 deadlock.

The 31-31 Question

For the second time in less than 24 hours, Republican and Democratic leaders in the State Senate emerged on Friday from Gov. David A. Paterson’s office, stood side by side and smiled for the cameras.


Holiday Plans? Senators Will Be Stuck in Albany (July 3, 2009)

Senators at an Impasse Find That Their State Pay Is at an Impasse, Too (July 3, 2009) No deal was announced to bring an end to the Senate’s monthlong deadlock; there were not even hints about what a deal might accomplish. But with the Fourth of July a day away, there was a lightened mood — after weeks of insults and accusations that have shattered the chamber’s usual decorum — and suggestions of progress, however halting.

“The difference is we are actually together and focused on the solution,” said Pedro Espada Jr., the Bronx Democrat whose alliance with Republicans has left the Senate split, 31 to 31.

“We are no longer apart, throwing shots at each other from one side of the aisle to the other,” he said. “We’re very focused on this.”

The thaw was a provisional victory for Mr. Paterson. At the beginning of the crisis, he said there was little he could do to intervene, but in the last two weeks he has sought ways to bring pressure on both sides.

Mr. Paterson has promised to call extraordinary sessions — in which he sets the agenda and the senators are compelled to attend — until a power-sharing agreement is worked out. His administration fought in court and won a decision to require the two sides to convene jointly, instead of separately, as they had done in the early stage of the crisis.

More recently, Mr. Paterson has pushed to withhold the senators’ pay, travel allowances and per diems, so far successfully. All the while, he has used his bully pulpit to criticize the Senate for its inaction in unusually harsh terms.

In an interview on Friday, Mr. Paterson said he believed that his strategy had succeeded in bringing the Republican and Democratic Senate leaders together, if only in united frustration at being stuck in Albany well beyond the end of the regular legislative session.

“It’s how every major negotiation is solved,” Mr. Paterson said. “This is why they hold negotiations all night. People generally only come to real compromise from a certain amount of strain and tension. So I’ve been actively trying to create it.”

On Friday, for the 11th day in a row, Republicans and Democrats filed into the Senate chamber for one of the sessions called by Mr. Paterson, swore the Pledge of Allegiance and gaveled out shortly thereafter, with neither side willing to agree that the other was lawfully entitled to conduct Senate business.

But the tension appeared to be dissipating, and the Senate accomplished at least one task as a joint body: a standing ovation for Owen H. Johnson, a Long Island Republican who turned 80 on Friday.

“We did something together!” shouted Eric Adams, a Brooklyn Democrat.

Moreover, after weeks of criticizing Mr. Paterson — one Senate Democrat even made a disparaging reference to the governor’s admissions of past drug use and extramarital relationships — leaders of both factions seemed to make a point of thanking him.

“He’s been very helpful in trying to allow us to air our concerns and opinions,” said Malcolm A. Smith, the Democratic leader. “He’s kind of been acting as a mediator, quite frankly.”

Mr. Paterson said he believed that Friday’s closed-door negotiations, which followed a similar session on Thursday, had begun to resolve some issues, though the most pressing one — who will hold the title of Senate president — is far from being settled.

“I think that they were surprised at how far you can get if there is someone sort of keeping the discussion in a place,” Mr. Paterson said. “They seemed to agree on resources. They seemed to agree on staffing. And they seemed to agree that in that respect, they are pretty split down the middle. Where they don’t agree is over this June 8th issue,” he added, referring to the date of the disputed Republican takeover.

Despite the atmospherics, real questions remained about what steps had been taken to end to the situation. A resolution has seemed close several times during the last four weeks, but each time, seemingly authentic progress evaporated, stirring more bad blood and mistrust between members of the two parties.

Still, in what some took to be a conciliatory gesture, Mr. Paterson rescheduled the weekend’s special sessions — previously expected to start at 3 p.m. on both days — for 11 a.m. on Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday, allowing some lawmakers to make it home for part of the holiday weekend.

Republican and Democratic senators said they planned to meet with their staffs over the weekend to continue talks about a power-sharing agreement.

The key Players, the Governor,