The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, is considering standing for the Presidency following pressure from the political establishment in Dublin, particularly Fine Gael. Should he decide to allow his name to go forward, it is believed that the main political parties in Leinster House would shelve plans to field their own candidates, thus allowing Mr Hume (60) to replace President Robinson without an election.
According to the New York Times yesterday, Mr Hume has said he is seriously considering the issue. While he had not made up his mind, he was "tending towards accepting the offer".
In an interview with the newspaper's Ireland correspondent, James Clarity, Mr Hume said that, following approaches from officials of the largest two parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, he had recently begun to think of what kind of presidency he would want.
"I would be a super salesman for Ireland, trying to bring investment and jobs here", he is quoted as saying.
Mr Clarity reported that Mr Hume discussed the presidential candidacy in Dublin last week. The matter had been raised during a social gathering hosted by the United States ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith. Among those in attendance was Senator Edward Kennedy, brother of the ambassador.
Mr Hume is expected to return to Derry from a retreat on the Scottish island of Iona later this week, but neither he nor a spokesman for the SDLP was available for comment yesterday.
It is understood that informal approaches were made to Mr Hume by members of Fine Gael and that the SDLP leader indicated that he was "wide open to the idea and interested".
However, a great deal would depend on the state of the all-party talks at Stormont, which are due to resume on September 15th. Nominations for the Presidency close 15 days later and polling takes place on October 30th.
Sources in Fine Gael suggested that steps would be taken, on a more formal basis, in the near future to establish whether Mr Hume would actually allow his name to go forward.
According to sources across the party divide, Mr Hume would not be opposed. An agreed candidate would have appeal for the parties since an expensive election campaign and potential political acrimony would be avoided.
However, adopting an agreed candidate would inevitably cause complications within Fine Gael, since the parliamentary party has already agreed to decide in the first week of September whether the Dublin MEP, Ms Mary Banotti, or the former minister of state, Ms Avril Doyle, should receive the party's nomination.
The former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, is known to be interested in contesting the presidential election for Fianna Fail, as is the former minister for justice, Mrs Maire Geoghegan-Quinn. Like Fine Gael, Fianna Fail is expected to choose its candidate early next month.
The Labour Party is continuing its search for a candidate. The former minister for the arts, Mr Michael D. Higgins, is regarded within the parliamentary party as the most likely candidate.
Meanwhile, sources close to the peace process said that Mr Hume's exit at this delicate time would be strongly opposed by nationalists, who believe his presence is critical to the success of future negotiations.
If he becomes involved in the talks from September 15th, it would be extremely difficult for him to extricate himself. As a result, it is believed that he will soon declare his intentions, one way or the other, in relation to the Presidency.
President Robinson is due to leave office on September 12th. Her successor will be inaugurated in early December.