A hectic and intense round of discussions and meetings between Belfast, Dublin and London is continuing today as the Irish and British governments strive to speedily re-instate the suspended institutions of the Belfast Agreement.
Last night it was learned that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, and the Northern Secretary, Mr Mandelson, had separate contacts with Gen de Chastelain.
As the Sinn Fein president last night warned that the political process was engulfed in its "worst crisis", the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair, together with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Northern Secretary, were busy managing further rounds of shuttle diplomacy.
Central to any chance of Mr Mandelson's suspension order being revoked was the matter of clarifying General John de Chastelain's second, more positive report, which was issued on Friday night, about the prospects of IRA decommissioning.
Mr Ahern said yesterday the British and Irish governments have "worked out a strategy" to ensure the suspension of the institutions will be short-lived. He said he had a number of conversations yesterday and over the weekend with Mr Blair. "We have worked out our strategy over the next week and we have agreed on that," said Mr Ahern. Both governments are agreed that the suspension should be short-lived, he added.
Mr Ahern said paragraphs 7 and 8 of General de Chastelain's second report was "significant". These sections which refer to the unspecified "context" in which the IRA might put arms beyond use, and the decommissioning body's conviction that this commitment might allow the body meet "the substance of its [decommissioning] mandate".
Said Mr Ahern of these chapters: "I know what is behind that and why he [General de Chastelain] put it there, but I am not at liberty to give, under the rules, any of the reasons but I think it needs to be explored further and it's certainly worth doing it."
The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, spoke of the need for clarity from the republican movement. "They have to make it clear to us and the public as to the extent of their commitment, in terms of decommissioning. It appears they have said something with regard to it," he said.
To suggestions from the Taoiseach that Mr Trimble should seek such clarification from Gen de Chastelain, the UUP leader said the general may not be in a position to provide it because the IRA may have put conditions on what information he could disclose.
However, Mr Pat Doherty, a senior Sinn Fein negotiator, urged Mr Trimble to contact General de Chastelain for clarification.
A British source said that efforts were taking place to open up a channel of contact between Mr Adams and the Ulster Unionist Party leader so that the clarification issue could be addressed.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, separately met Mr Mandelson, Mr Trimble and a senior Sinn Fein negotiating team led by Mr Adams in Belfast yesterday. He urged the Northern Secretary to revoke his suspension order.
Mr Cowen described his meetings yesterday as useful. He said rather than a rift "there was a different of emphasis" between the British and Irish governments over the suspension decision.
