The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, is likely to personally exhort the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, to soften his demand for photographic evidence of IRA decommissioning as Tuesday's potential date for a deal is now almost certain to slip back to Wednesday, at the earliest.
Speaking last night in Navan, the Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, said the time for negotiation was over and if the DUP was not prepared to sign up to a deal the two governments should move on "without them".
Dublin and London are anxious that the nature of Dr Paisley's requirement for photographic verification of IRA disarmament could be a "deal breaker", notwithstanding the fact that the two governments believe they are in sight of a deal.
Dr Paisley's meeting tomorrow with Mr Blair in Downing Street has been put back to Monday when the Prime Minister is virtually certain to press Dr Paisley to row back on his demand for visual proof of IRA decommissioning, well placed sources said last night.
The British and Irish governments initially understood that Dr Paisley was prepared to accept a proposal whereby in January he would view photographs of decommissioned IRA weapons but that these images would not be published until after devolution had kicked in and when it was clear the DUP was fully sharing power.
This week, however, Dr Paisley seemed to harden his demand by insisting that not only must he see photographs when the IRA completes decommissioning, possibly in January, but they must be published at the same time - crucially, before the DUP had demonstrated it was sharing power with Sinn Féin.
The governments believe this is a non-runner with republicans, particularly as neither Dublin nor London knows whether the IRA would even allow photographs to be produced after devolution was reinstated. "It could be a deal breaker," admitted a senior source.
There are still difficulties over other issues, such as how the First and Deputy First ministers are elected, Mr Adams said in Navan last night. But the governments believe that if a compromise can be found on photographs, everything else should fall into place.
Last night, Mr Adams said the issue of IRA arms could be resolved but made no reference to photographs. "Sinn Féin believes that this matter can be dealt with to the satisfaction of all reasonable people in the context of a comprehensive agreement and under the remit of the IICD." The talks must now be concluded, he insisted. "If the DUP refuses to engage properly, then the two governments must move ahead without them."
Party optimists declared themselves "on balance" confident an agreement would be concluded with both governments and Sinn Féin by mid next week, while admitting uncertainty about the final disposition of Dr Paisley.
At the same time, other usually reliable sources said Dr Paisley had still not received confirmation from Mr Blair that the IRA has signed-up to all the relevant provisions of the British-Irish proposals for the revival of the Stormont Assembly and Executive.
Dr Paisley is expected to give his final response to the governments' proposals early next week. But as the DUP leader kept his own counsel, he received a warning from Mr Adams that a political accommodation could not be built on a process of republican humiliation. Mr Adams was speaking outside Downing Street earlier in the day after giving Mr Blair his party's final representation on the joint government proposals for all-round "acts of completion" to commence toward the end of the year and to enable the appointment of a power-sharing administration by March.
Mr Adams delivered a sharp message to Mr Blair and the Taoiseach, insisting they must ensure their text was in line with their stated criteria and "the Good Friday Agreement." He said any deal must be "bedded in and capable of delivering" the Belfast Agreement. Dr Paisley's suggestion that republicans wear "sackcloth and ashes" had compounded difficulties within the republican constituency. "An accommodation of equals cannot be built through a process of humiliation," he said.
However observers noted last night there was nothing in this which would necessarily preclude a decision by the IRA itself to agree to a pictorial record of future decommissioning in order to secure the DUP commitment to power sharing.
