The British government confirmed this morning that Assembly elections in Northern Ireland will take place on November 26th.
The news comes at the start of what promises to be another historic day in the peace process. It follows a deal reached between Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionist Party last night.
The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister are to arrive at Hillsborough Castle this afternoon in a series of choreographed events including a decommissioning statement from the IRA.
The Ulster Unionist Party will declare a commitment to work the institutions of the Belfast Agreement, and there will be British commitments on demilitarisation.The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, is due to issue a statement saying words to the effect that republicans will pursue their ambitions by exclusively peaceful and democratic means.
Minutes after Downing Street confirmed the election date, Sinn Féin announced that party president Mr Gerry Adams would speak in a Belfast hotel at 10 a.m.
An IRA statement is expected to follow endorsing these comments. The IRA will not specify what paramilitary activities it is ending, but sources said the Adams and IRA statements would be sufficient to convince the governments and the Ulster Unionists that it is winding down as a paramilitary force.
The full activation of the Independent Monitoring Commission, due at the end of November and which will check if paramilitaries are ceasing activity, is also a "critical factor" in persuading Mr David Trimble to accept this form of wording from republicans.
This additional check on whether the IRA is genuinely ending activity will provide him with additional ammunition in the face of the near-certain rejection of the deal by anti-agreement unionists, they said.
It is understood that Mr Trimble has convened a meeting of his party officers for 8.30 a.m. today to seek their agreement to convene a meeting of the ruling Ulster Unionist Council on October 29th.
It is understood Gen John de Chastelain left Belfast last night to oversee a third act of IRA decommissioning. That decommissioning is due to be confirmed today both by Gen de Chastelain's decommissioning body and by the IRA.
The nature of that confirmation is the one remaining issue that could still jeopardise this all-embracing deal that has the potential to result in a functioning Executive after elections.
Mr Ahern and Mr Tony Blair are scheduled to give a joint press conference at Hillsborough Castle in the afternoon, where they will urge the pro-Agreement parties to unite behind the deal.
Mr Blair is also due to issue commitments about demilitarisation, human rights, equality issues and other matters.
Mr Ahern and Mr Blair had intensive talks by telephone last night. Yesterday, Mr Ahern referred to a single stumbling block, but said the crucial issues were the "stability of institutions" and certainty that "we're at the end of the game on paramilitarism".