MULTI party negotiations are due to begin at Stormont in Belfast tomorrow with all the North's political parties present except Sinn Fein. The talks will be in session until the end of the month when they will be suspended for the summer.
Republicans remain barred from the negotiations until the IRA calls a new ceasefire. The Alliance leader, Lord Alderdice, is asking the British government to review the participation of the fringe loyalists in light of recent loyalist violence.
Sinn Fein chairman, Mr Mitchell McLaughlin, yesterday called on the British and Irish governments to end their policy of "double standards" by continuing to exclude Sinn Fein from talks while the loyalist parties were included.
"It is a ridiculous situation, in the midst of a loyalist murder campaign, that representatives of loyalist organisations are set to join the talks while Sinn Fein is excluded. These organisations have driven a "horse and cart through the Mitchell principles".
Meanwhile, the former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, has called for a postponement of the Northern talks until after the marching season there has ended.
Mr Reynolds said a great deal of groundwork needed to be done to ensure a restorations of both ceasefires.
Mr Reynolds, canvassing in Longford town on Saturday said: "We have shown in the past that all parties have confidence in our ability to bring about a peaceful and just settlement.
Speaking to constituents outside the town's shopping centre Mr Reynolds said he was confident that a Fianna Fail led Government would avail of the opportunity to work towards an early restoration of ceasefires.
"Back in power we will help get an early ceasefire but I think the talks should be postponed until the marching season is over. There is a lot of groundwork to be done and this would allow us time to do it."
Rachel Donnelly, in London, writes:
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, will "push ahead" with his plans for a peaceful settlement in Northern Ireland when he meets the chairman of the Northern Ireland talks, the former 45 senator, Mr George Mitchell, in Downing Street today amid demands from the Ulster Unionist Party to end its contacts with Sinn Fein following the discovery of an IRA bomb in Belfast at the weekend.
As yet no date has been set for further meetings between British government officials and Sinn Fein but it is understood that a third meeting has been agreed in principle.
In his first meeting with Mr Mitchell, Mr Blair will make clear his desire that the resumption of the talks tomorrow will set a fresh agenda for talks in the North and not become bogged down on procedural issues and decommissioning weapons.
However, their meeting is likely to be overshadowed by what Mr Blair referred to in a recent speech in Belfast as "events on the ground", when he offered Sinn Fein the opportunity to meet British government officials provided IRA violence in the North and Britain "do not make that impossible".
With the discovery of the van bomb in Belfast on Saturday British government sources have said they will not be drawn into an immediate comment on its significance and how it would affect future meetings with Sinn Fein. Asked whether the IRA bomb represented an emphatic rejection of Mr Blair's attempt to sue for peace and the call by the US President, Mr Clinton, to renew the IRA ceasefire, the source said: "It is a serious issue and events such as these never really help the situation."
It is clear, however, that although Mr Blair is keen to kick start the peace process he has decided to adopt a wait and see policy on further meetings with Sinn Fein and it is the response of the unionist parties to "events on the ground" that will play a key part in British government thinking.