The pace of political developments in Northern Ireland continued to quicken yesterday with the four main party leaders signing up to a "gentlemen's agreement" by announcing the ministerial posts they will take up on May 8th.
Yesterday's allocation of departments has no legal standing but the DUP and Sinn Féin, which will hold seven of the 10 ministerial posts in addition to the posts of first minister and deputy first minister as well as a junior ministry each, appeared satisfied that on May 8th each party would hold to the agreement.
The DUP will take four departments: finance and personnel, which deputy leader Peter Robinson is expected to take; enterprise, trade and investment; environment; and culture, arts and leisure, as well as a junior posting. Contenders here include Nigel Dodds, Arlene Foster, Ian Paisley jnr, Sammy Wilson, Gregory Campbell and Edwin Poots.
DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley is to travel to Dublin tomorrow to meet the Taoiseach at Farmleigh while efforts continue to find a suitable date for Dr Paisley and Martin McGuinness to meet the British chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown.
Sinn Féin was the only party yesterday to name its ministers although it did not say which posts they would take up. Its ministers will be MPs Conor Murphy and Michelle Gildernew and MLAs Gerry Kelly and Caitríona Ruane, with one of them taking a junior post.
Sinn Féin was expected to select enterprise, trade and investment as its first choice of department, because of its North-South dimension, but caused surprise by once again choosing education. It also chose regional development and agriculture.
Ms Gildernew would appear a likely candidate for agriculture while Ms Ruane may take over education, Mr Murphy regional development, and Mr Kelly moving as a junior minister to the Office of First and Deputy First Minister.
The selection of Ms Gildernew also had the potential to be contentious, considering her pre-election comments about the police.
The Ulster Unionist Party will run two departments - health, and employment and learning. Party leader Sir Reg Empey is expected to take a department and deputy leader Danny Kennedy and North Down MLA Alan McFarland are in the running for the second post.
The SDLP will run the department of social development, with Assembly member Margaret Ritchie likely to be appointed. She is seen as a possible successor to Eddie McGrady as Westminster MP for south Down.
Two more DUP councillors in the Rev Ian Paisley's Ballymena heartland resigned last night.
Ballymena Mayor James Alexander and party colleague Robin Stirling told a council meeting last night that they were leaving the party. Their protest wipes out the DUP's majority in the council. Roy Gillespie, and Sam Gaston resigned last week.
