The Alliance Party's decision to redesignate a number of its members as unionists was solely motivated by the need to save the Belfast Agreement, its leader said.
After protracted negotiations on Saturday, Mr David Ford emerged from Stormont's Parliament Buildings to confirm that the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP would propose the redesignation of some Alliance members today so a renewed bid could be made to elect a First and Deputy First Minister to the Executive.
On Friday, the election of the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, as First Minister failed when he polled only 49.2 per cent of the unionist vote, just under the required 50 per cent.
Under Assembly rules, both Mr Trimble and the SDLP candidate for the post of Deputy First Minister, Mr Mark Durkan, needed a majority among both unionist and nationalist MLAs to be elected. The one-day redesignation of some Alliance MLAs - who normally fall into the non-aligned "Other" category - as unionists should now secure their election.
The Alliance leader rejected accusations that his party had simply acted to lend Mr Trimble a helping hand and had tried to make the most of its days in the limelight. "I think if there is any message which should go out, it is that the Alliance Party is working to save the agreement. Any suggestion that we are seeking to do it for the sake of an individual is completely wrong."
He insisted that the party was redesignating to "protect the integrity of the agreement". The party would not betray its voters and would always remain a cross-community party. Other parties needed to understand that its non-aligned status was as significant to Alliance as being unionist or nationalist was to them, he said.
"On Monday morning, it will be possible for a number of individuals in the Alliance Party - not the Alliance Party, which will remain a cross-community centre party, and will remain so whatever individuals may have to do at the moment - to be designated as unionists.
In exchange for its redesignation, the party has secured a guarantee from the British government and the other pro-agreement parties that a review of Assembly voting procedures will be held. The party objects to the cross-community voting procedure, which it feels places too great an emphasis on unionists' and nationalists' votes while rendering the votes of non-aligned parties almost meaningless.
The Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, praised Alliance's move, saying that the party had taken a "brave decision". Under the terms of the agreement, there was now no obstacle to the Assembly conducting a fresh election for the posts of First and Deputy First Ministers today.
"It is a brave decision by the Alliance Party, which they have taken in the interests of a much wider process, and they deserve the recognition of all of us for this", he said. "There's no self-gain for them in this. They have done this because they believe very, very strongly in the peace process and the stability of the Assembly and the Executive in Northern Ireland."