The DUP and the British government appear on a potential collision course over the prior steps required to resolve the policing issue ahead of the restoration of power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.
Major differences of interpretation emerged last night even as Northern Secretary Peter Hain told MPs that the St Andrews agreement could come "to be seen as a pivotal moment in Irish history".
The dispute - which could delay if not derail prospects for the return of power-sharing now scheduled for March - centres on a proposed new pledge of office requiring ministers in a new Executive to endorse the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley yesterday confirmed his understanding - first reported in Saturday's Irish Times - that he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness would be required to take the pledge before the Northern Assembly in order to be nominated first and deputy first ministers-designate on November 24th.
However, the Northern Ireland Office last night said it believed the ministerial pledge would not become "an issue" until the executive was nominated as per the proposed timetable on March 26th.
Suggesting either "confusion" within or "over-spinning" by the DUP, senior Whitehall sources said the new ministerial pledge would be enshrined in law by November 24th, but that neither Dr Paisley nor Mr McGuinness would be required to take it until the new executive was set to "go live".
Moreover, they suggested Dr Paisley would not actually want to take the pledge of office on November 24th "because that would mean he was taking office" at that point. The sources added that avoiding that situation had been a clear objective of the DUP during the St Andrews negotiations.
This clarification of the British position followed an assertion by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams that he had not agreed any pledge or oath to be sworn by Mr McGuinness ahead of a special ardfheis to consider the policing issue.
Speaking after talks with British prime minister Tony Blair in London, Mr Adams said he was "not yet in a position to put a proposal" to a meeting of Sinn Féin's executive or ardchomhairle. Amid speculation that the decision-making Sinn Féin ardfheis will not take place until after November 24th, The Irish Times asked Mr Adams if he had agreed nonetheless that Mr McGuinness would endorse the PSNI in order to secure prior nomination as deputy first minister.
Mr Adams said "no", saying that the British and Irish governments were at this point the only parties to the St Andrews agreement.
Father Alec Reid, one of two clergymen who witnessed the IRA's final decommissioning acts, has said the historic process occurred at "nine different places".