Sinn Féin Education Minister Martin McGuinness today offered a meeting with two rebel Ulster Unionist Assembly members to allay their concerns over IRA decommissioning.
In a bold move before Peter Weir and Pauline Armitage met decommissioning chief General John de Chastelain in Belfast, Mr McGuinness confirmed his officials had contacted both Assembly members about a meeting to address their concerns.
The Mid Ulster MP said: "In light of Peter Weir and Pauline Armitage's meeting with the IICD this afternoon in a bid to allay concerns over last week's historic move by the IRA, it is only right that I make myself available to meet with them also.
"Sinn Féin officials have contacted Pauline Armitage personally and Peter Weir's office offering to meet with them to impress upon them the magnitude of the IRA initiative and attempt to allay any fears they might have.
"It is important that those of us with political mandates work together in order to advance the peace process and build upon last week's IRA move."
Mr McGuinness's offer came after East Derry MLA Pauline Armitage told PA Newsshe had tabled seven demands which would influence whether she should back party leader David Trimble's bid to be re-elected Northern Ireland First Minister on Friday.
With Mr Trimble requiring her and Mr Weir's votes in Friday's Assembly vote, she said: "I have a list of seven things and if I achieve three or four of them I would probably back him."
The UUP leader needs majority backing from both unionists and nationalists in Friday's vital vote if he is to be returned to the head of the power-sharing cabinet.
Although failure would plunge the devolved institutions into a fresh crisis, Ms Armitage and fellow renegade Ulster Unionist MLA Peter Weir have so far refused to fall in behind Mr Trimble.
Both Ulster Unionist MLAs were meeting General de Chastelain to get more clarity on the disarmament process.
PA