Talks aimed at restoring devolution are back at the stage of last April-May when the IRA repeated its commitment to the peace process and said it was prepared to carry out a third act of decommissioning, according to well-placed sources.
The political pace has quickened with news that President Bush's special envoy, Mr Richard Haass, is returning to the North next week for meetings with the main players, as all sides attempt to find a formula that would allow Assembly elections in mid-November.
The signals are that the IRA is prepared to carry out another act of decommissioning but has not signed up to stating that its war is over, sources said.
As the negotiations intensify, talks insiders said there are no indications so far that the IRA is prepared to go beyond its position of last April-May and commit itself to ending all paramilitary activity as required in paragraph 13 of the Hillsborough joint declaration.
The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, and the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, are expected to meet again today or tomorrow, and a series of meetings involving British and Irish officials and senior Sinn Féin and UUP personnel will run through the week.
The main focus of the negotiations is to prise from the IRA a form of words on its future intentions that would satisfy the UUP and the two governments that it was winding down as a paramilitary force.
Equally, republicans want copper-fastened assurances from the UUP that, if devolution is restored, Mr Trimble will ensure the stability of the Assembly, Executive and institutions of the Belfast Agreement.
The preferred date for Assembly elections remains Thursday, November 13th, which means some form of deal must be struck by the middle of next week, or at the latest by the weekend after next, to allow the electoral office prepare for the poll.
In its statement of last April the IRA said it was "resolved to see the complete and final closure of this conflict" and added that it had "also authorised a third act of putting arms beyond use" to be verified by Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body.
Around that period Mr Adams acted as the effective voice of the IRA, interpreting what the April statement meant. He answered questions from the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair.
This, however, failed to satisfy the British and Irish governments and the UUP. The Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, said: "While the original (April) IRA statement does represent some progress, unfortunately it does not answer the questions which the British and Irish governments put to the IRA and Sinn Féin spokespersons."
The April-May negotiations ended bitterly but now, according to talks insiders, the negotiations are at least back to what was on offer at that time.
Paragraph 13 of the April joint declaration calls for an end to all paramilitary activity including attacks, training, targeting, "punishment" shootings and beatings, intelligence gathering and exiling.Sources say the main hurdle yet to be overcome is to persuade the IRA to come up with a form of words that would reflect paragraph 13.
