Intensive work behind the scenes involving the British and Irish governments and the Northern parties to reach an agreement that would see the restoration of the Northern executive and Assembly has now reached a "critical" stage, according to senior talks sources.
Over recent days, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Dermot Ahern, and the Northern Secretary Mr Paul Murphy, have raised expectations of a political breakthrough within the next two weeks.
Talks sources confirmed that British and Irish officials and the Northern parties are engaged in detailed, high-level negotiations that "over the coming days could go either way". One source said the talks were at a "sensitive" stage and it was "just impossible" to call how they would conclude.
They said Dublin and London were still striving to devise a formula that the parties could endorse, rather than being forced to publish "take it or leave it proposals" that in a benign scenario the parties would acquiesce to or in a worst-case scenario would be outrightly rejected by one or more of the parties.
The governments are still publishing their "best read" of the way forward but ultimately might shy away from such a move if they believed it would have no chance of success.
There were indications, too, that some of the intensity of focus may have shifted from issues such as ministerial accountability and how to elect the first and deputy first minister to matters such as policing. Sources said these matters remained to be resolved but that there appeared to be a stronger concentration now on policing and other issues crucial to republicans.
Said one senior Sinn Féin source last night: "There is still a lot of work to be done in respect of matters such as policing and the role of the British and Irish governments in terms of implementing the Good Friday Agreement." He confirmed the talks had reached an "urgent" pitch but refused to go into the detail of the discussions. He said there was still a possibility of a deal but the "watchword should be caution".
The Sinn Féin chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, meanwhile downplayed the comments from Mr Murphy in Wales yesterday suggesting a deal could be accomplished in coming weeks.
"It would be more helpful if the British Secretary of State fulfilled the British government's commitments to the agreement rather than engaging in unhelpful hype and spin. We need to see substance. We need to see the British government applying itself to fulfilling its obligations under the agreement," he said.
Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness said his party "had grave concerns about the position of the two governments on possible changes to the institutional arrangements. In addition the DUP is seeking changes to the agreement which are not acceptable.".
"The fundamentals of the agreement, including the checks and balances which are of such crucial importance to nationalists and republicans, will not be bartered or negotiated away by Sinn Féin. Demands for a unionist veto over ministerial executive authority or the institutions, or a return to unionist rule, will simply not happen," insisted Mr McGuinness.
The DUP MP Mr Nigel Dodds last night rejected claims by the SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan that the DUP was seeking to achieve an effective return to unionist majority rule in any restored executive.
"The SDLP are flogging a dead horse in calling for no change whatsoever [ to the Belfast Agreement]. Instead of engaging in stunts, the SDLP would be better served engaging seriously in the talks process and working with us to find a new agreement that is fair to everyone in Northern Ireland," he added.
In Belfast last night, the Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte said there were "good indications that before Christmas this year, the IRA will finally have made the sort of commitment to peace that many of us despaired of hearing in our lifetimes".
"All of us, I know, hope that that commitment will indeed be total, that we will be told that they have decided their war is over, and that they are ready to ensure that all arms are decommissioned in a sufficiently transparent way to inspire confidence throughout the community."
