The Ulster Unionist Party last night named members to sit on the new Northern Ireland Policing Board as the midnight deadline for nominations passed. The DUP also nominated three members to sit on the board, according to Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid.
But Dr Reid is still expected to announce today another "technical" suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly, allowing a further six weeks to resolve the outstanding issues of policing and IRA decommissioning.
The UUP assembly members, Lord Kilclooney, Mr Fred Cobain and Mr James Leslie were nominated in a letter to Dr Reid last night. They join the three SDLP nominees to the 19 strong board also announced yesterday, Mr Alex Attwood, Mr Joe Byrne and Mr Eddie McGrady.
In a statement, the UUP leader Mr David Trimble said he had received assurances from Dr Reid that the Policing Board's composition would be representative of the community.
Sinn Fein has already ruled out nominating to the board. Dr Reid said early this morning that he was now in a position to create the new board. He described it as a "momentous step forward". He said the SDLP, the UUP and the DUP had given him their nominations last night.
He would be in position to appoint independent members next week, he said.
Mr Trimble said party nominees would aim to retain a police badge and flag reflective of the North's constitutional position. They would aim to control appointments of independent members on the new District Police Partnership Boards.
DUP northern assembly member, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, refused to confirm or deny that the party would participate in the board. DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, left a meeting with Mr Trimble and Dr Reid in Stormont last night without commenting.
Yesterday morning Mr Trimble met the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, at Stormont to discuss the IRA statement of Thursday night announcing its re-engagement with Gen de Chastelaine's Independent International Decommissioning Commission. Mr Trimble is understood to have indicated actual decommissioning is necessary before he will re-enter government.
UUP sources said Mr Trimble was unlikely to accept the second technical suspension unless the Northern Secretary "can show justification for it in terms of a realistic prospect that [IRA] decommissioning is going to happen".
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, will meet on the margins of the European Union meeting on terrorism in Brussels this evening to discuss short-term strategy to maintain political stability in Northern Ireland.