The British government is still sticking to its Assembly election timetable despite growing recognition in Whitehall that the May 29th poll may not secure the return of Northern Ireland's devolved government.
In the House of Commons last night the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, told DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley it was "certainly not" his intention to move the election date and that the present Assembly would be dissolved on April 28th.
Assuming no last gasp breakthrough in the ongoing negotiation with the IRA and Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, repeated it would be for the British government to explain to the people of Northern Ireland how the Assembly would function in that event.
Mr Trimble apparently expects to decide tonight or early tomorrow whether he has an acceptable "acts of completion" deal to put before his ruling Ulster Unionist Council on Saturday week, April 26th.
Usually reliable sources told The Irish Times Mr Trimble has still "not entirely ruled out" the possibility that the Sinn Féin leadership could satisfy his need, and the demand of the British and Irish governments, for further clarification about the IRA's future intentions.
In his statement to MPs ahead of the Commons' Easter recess, Mr Murphy said the two governments would not publish their package of proposals for the full and final implementation of the Belfast Agreement "until the necessary clarity on all sides about acts of completion is in place".
Reporting on Sunday's draft statement from the IRA, Mr Murphy confirmed the government had considered it with great care and asked the IRA to clarify a number of questions. He said: "The two governments believe there has been progress and that the statement shows a clear desire to make the peace process work.
"The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach continue to believe that we can move to the final implementation of the agreement if there is sufficient clarity and certainty from all sides."
However, unionist sources yesterday suggested that the new IRA draft fell "about halfway" between the original and the language suggested by Mr Blair and Mr Ahern as necessary to secure an Ulster Unionist commitment to enter the Assembly election on a manifesto commitment to resume power-sharing.
And while Mr Trimble was said to think a breakthrough still "just about possible", his fellow MPs Mr David Burnside and Mr Jeffrey Donaldson urged Mr Murphy and the British government to move the political process ahead without Sinn Féin. Mr Burnside said it was "time to move on by way of a voluntary coalition" of the other parties. Pro-agreement unionists seem to accept there is little realistic prospect of the governments moving Sinn Féin's exclusion.
Labour MP Mr Andrew Mackinlay strongly protested at the absence of all three SDLP MPs from the Commons chamber yesterday. He said Labour MPs like himself were "sick to the back teeth" at turning up for important Northern Ireland business to find the SDLP not there, and suggested it was time Labour organised in Northern Ireland.