Assuming that the expected procedural wrangles in the Assembly can be overcome today, a shadow executive comprising a First Minister, Deputy First Minister and 10 ministers is due to be established. Irrespective of procedural difficulties the executive should formally be in place by midnight on Wednesday.
For the first time politicians such as Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein, Mr Peter Robinson of the DUP, Sir Reg Empey of the Ulster Unionist Party, and Mr Mark Durkan of the SDLP will taste the elixir that fuels all politicians, real governmental power.
Mr Sean Farren, who will take one of the three ministries to which the SDLP is entitled, is conscious of the trials ahead but is confident that once politicians have power they will not easily abandon it. "Responsibility will carry its own imperative to make this work," he predicted.
There is little doubt about who the SDLP, DUP and Sinn Fein will appoint as ministers. The SDLP, which is entitled to three positions, will nominate Mr Mark Durkan, Mr Farren and Ms Brid Rodgers. The DUP's two portfolios are expected to be taken by Mr Peter Robinson and Mr Nigel Dodds. Mr Martin McGuinness and Ms Bairbre de Brun will be Sinn Fein's two ministers.
There has been some comment about Mr Gerry Adams not taking a ministry. The explanation for this, according to Sinn Fein, is that because it is an all-Ireland party with an all-Ireland agenda, it would not be fitting for Mr Adams as party president to take a post.
The main contenders for the three UUP positions are Sir Reg Empey, Mr John Taylor, Mr Dermot Nesbitt, Mr Michael McGimpsey and Mr Alan McFarland. This could be narrowed to four politicians challenging for three ministries should Mr Taylor, who is also a Westminster MP, forgo his chance of a department.
Bearing in mind Mr Taylor's unpredictability and his potential for mischief, Mr Trimble would probably prefer to have him in his cabinet where he would fall under the rule of collective responsibility.
Whoever loses out here will not be too disappointed as there are several other senior positions in the gift of Mr Trimble. There will be a committee for each of the 10 departments to which the ministers will report.
Each of the committees will have a chair and deputy chair position. The UUP, again proportional to its strength, will be entitled to a number of these positions.
It is expected that a number of junior ministries will also be created. No firm decision has been taken on this as yet, although it has been suggested that, initially at least, there would be three junior ministries.
The committee chairs and the junior ministries will allow party chiefs to reward their trusted lieutenants who fail to make the executive. Mr Mitchel McLaughlin of Sinn Fein, Mr Ian Paisley jnr of the DUP, and Mr Denis Haughey of the SDLP could benefit from these secondary positions.
This may also afford Mr Trimble the opportunity of bringing the more dissident members of his Assembly grouping to his way of thinking with the offer of some of the additional posts.
It is unclear, however, which portfolios each particular politician will take up. There are 10 ministries, and the UUP as the largest party has the choice of taking the first, fifth and eighth departments. The SDLP will have the second, sixth, and 10th choice of ministries; the DUP the third and seventh ministries; Sinn Fein the fourth and ninth choices.
