It was surreal to say the least. There they were, Trimble, Mallon and co, announcing the Executive's 87-page programme for government when nobody could say for certain the Assembly would exist when the time came to approve the measures early next year.
This uncertainty will only be removed after Saturday's crunch Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting, but yesterday at least, the guns and politics issues dividing unionism were put aside. This meant the headlines were dominated by the Executive's plans for agriculture and education, transport and communications. A proposal was even made for a ban on tobacco advertising while free travel was suggested for pensioners.
But despite all this realpolitik, decommissioning was still exercising the minds of some callers to Radio Ulster's Talkback. They refused to be distracted by the Executive's ambitious plans. One from Portadown wanted to know whether Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, was going to ask for IRA decommissioning as part of the programme for government.
Someone asked whether Mr Trimble would make public his bottom line on decommissioning. But there were a number of calls echoing a Bangor caller's comment that it was "refreshing to see normal government up and running in Northern Ireland".
Meanwhile, Downtown Radio reported Mr Peter Mandelson's comments in support of UUP leader Mr David Trimble. He said Northern Ireland deserved the twin goals of a permanent peace and a devolved government and that the First Minister was integral to this.
"David Trimble's leadership of his party remains as indispensable as ever it was to the continued achievement of those two goals . . . I ask the people who are meeting in that party to consider, you know, what are they doing."
Mr Trimble appeared on BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra where he was asked by reporter Mark Simpson whether the new proposals for government might end up in the bin by Christmas if the UUC meeting didn't go the First Minister's way. Mr Trimble wouldn't comment on "matters outside the script".
Mr Simpson described the Deputy First Minister Mr Seamus Mallon and Mr Trimble as the "Odd Couple". Whether Mr Mallon was Jack Lemmon or Walter Matthau wasn't made clear.
"Somehow this odd couple you talk about have stumbled through," said Mr Mallon. "We have made sure the Executive is up and running and making decisions."