The countdown to the SDLP declaring yea or nay for the police Act has started. But as far as Seamus Mallon and his senior colleagues are concerned there is still some serious talking to be done before they can decide whether to accept Peter Mandelson's police reform package.
Mr Mallon spoke to RTE's Morning Ireland programme but gave little away, apart from insisting that irrespective of dire warnings of "calamity" from Mr Mandelson, the SDLP would not be "hustled" into issuing its definitive response to the Police Act or stating if it would nominate members to the Policing Board.
The party was also stung by suggestions that it was fearful of taking a unilateral decision on the Act for fear of Sinn Fein exploiting such a move at the SDLP's electoral expense.
Neither would he talk in terms of progress, or its absence, but said there were "opportunities" to end the deadlock. He said the RUC had a developing understanding of the main issues of concern.
Seamus Mallon has refined what needs to be done to seven issues. Six of them, such as flags and emblems, the closure of Gough Barracks, and the merging of the old RUC Special Branch into the general crime division, appear eminently soluble. But the seventh - the call for independent inquiries into the murders of Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson and Robert Hamill - is proving very difficult.
Mr Mandelson is arguing that independent inquiries at this stage could fatally undermine the current external English police inquiries led by Mr John Stevens and Mr Colin Port, respectively, into the Finucane and Nelson murders. On the Hamill case, he is contending that, with the Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan "driving" this RUC investigation, an element of independence has been created.
None of this so far has impressed Mr Mallon, who is still holding out for the independent inquiries. How far the SDLP will push for this will determine whether, and how soon, the party might endorse the Act.
A probably stretchable deadline of the end of January is being set for an overall agreement on the outstanding issues of policing, demilitarisation, IRA arsenals, and Sinn Fein ministers attending North-South meetings.
With elections looming, real politics thereafter may have to be put on hold. If agreement is possible, policing could be part of an overall package dealing with the other big issues, or it could be a separate deal between the SDLP and the British government.
While the brinkmanship battle between the SDLP and the Northern Secretary must be waged a little while longer, the moment of truth for the SDLP must be confronted soon.
The heat is on. On one side Mr Mandelson is warning that SDLP failure to endorse the Act could "torpedo" the political process, while on the other flank Sinn Fein is urging the SDLP to maintain a nationalist bulwark on policing.
Mr Gerry Adams yesterday warned the British government against attempting to "cajole, break, intimidate or fracture the broad democratic consensus" among nationalists into adopting the police proposals. Implicit here was also a warning that the SDLP must stand with Sinn Fein on policing.
Senior SDLP Assembly members Mr Alex Attwood and Mr Alban Maginness met the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, yesterday. Mr Attwood was dismissive of suggestions that the Sinn Fein electoral challenge was dictating its approach. The party could manage the growing pressure and would act independently.
Neither would he talk in terms of progress, or it's absense but said there were "opportunities" to end the deadlock. He said the RUC had a developing understanding of the main issues of concern.