British prime minister Tony Blair held talks with DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley yesterday evening, raising hope that the potential collapse of the political process could be averted today.
Intensive and "sensitive" separate negotiations were continuing late last night and into this morning to try to devise a formula to resolve the standoff over how and whether Dr Paisley and Martin McGuinness today would be deemed the North's prospective first minister and deputy first minister.
Mr Blair's chief spokesman made clear yesterday morning that if Dr Paisley did not conditionally indicate in the Assembly today that he would be first minister by March 26th next year, when devolution is scheduled to resume, then Stormont would shut. "It's either move forward, or dissolve," he said.
Direct and telephone negotiations continued throughout yesterday involving the British and Irish governments and senior DUP and Sinn Féin politicians, with Mr Blair in contact with Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams during the day, sources said.
While the consistent line from the DUP was that Dr Paisley would refuse to be formally nominated as First Minister designate with Mr McGuinness as deputy first minister designate in the Assembly today, officials attempted to devise a compromise form of words to break the deadlock.
There were serious suggestions that Mr Blair might fly into Northern Ireland today to try to find a solution to the difficulties. Last night that was considered unnecessary after Dr Paisley was in contact with Mr Blair. Following these discussions there was cautious optimism that today's first meeting of the transitional Assembly could be fudged or finessed.
British and Irish sources said the governments would be satisfied if it were clear today that Dr Paisley would be first minister on March 26th if issues such as Sinn Féin signing up to policing could be subsequently resolved.
Work was continuing last night on the mechanics on how today's first meeting of the transitional Assembly would proceed. The DUP Assembly group is expected to meet before today's Assembly meeting, scheduled for 10.30am, while the Assembly business committee is also due to convene to decide on the structure of the Assembly gathering.
Sources said last night that Dr Paisley, Mr McGuinness, the SDLP leader Mark Durkan and Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey might be asked by the speaker Eileen Bell to make opening statements, where the governments hope Dr Paisley is prepared to indicate he conditionally wants to be first minister on March 26th.
Recent weeks have seen tensions among some grassroots DUP supporters about Dr Paisley entering into a powersharing Northern Executive with Sinn Féin.
Hardline comments from North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds that it would take a "political lifetime" before responsibility for justice and policing could be devolved to the Executive have also raised concerns about internal strains in the DUP at Assembly, Westminster and Europe level.
Those concerns were exacerbated yesterday with the Rev Ivan Foster, a senior minister in Dr Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church, saying church members were "deeply troubled" by the prospect of entering government with Sinn Féin.
Mr Adams said in Dublin yesterday that if the DUP did not proceed with nominating Dr Paisley today, then the plans for devolution should be abandoned. "At the very, very minimum, at the very least, there has to be the nomination of the First and Deputy First ministers," he said.
"If there are not nominations then fine. That's our very, very strong view," added Mr Adams.
