BELFAST City Council will meet tonight to elect a new lord mayor. For the first time, a nationalist has a chance of securing the position. However, unionist sources have predicted that an Alliance Party candidate could be elected.
Last month's council elections led to unionists losing control of City Hall. Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the Alliance have 26 seats, compared to 25 for the UUP, DUP and fringe loyalists.
Sinn Fein is the joint largest party on the council. However, the SDLP and Alliance will not support a republican candidate for mayor in the absence of an IRA ceasefire. It is believed that the SDLP will put forward Cllr Alban Maginness. The party has appealed for republican support saying that he is the only nationalist who can win, but it is not known if Sinn Fein will back Mr Maginness.
A deal between unionists and the SDLP, which could have secured victory for Mr Maginness, fell through at the weekend because the SDLP wanted a one year agreement - leaving the way open for a deal with Sinn Fein after a new IRA ceasefire - while unionists demanded a four year agreement.
Mr Maginness can win only if he secures Sinn Fein and Alliance support. A unionist unity candidate could triumph if Sinn Fein and the SDLP, failing to have their own candidates elected, later abstain from the vote.
However, UUP sources said they understood that their party would support an Alliance candidate, most likely the party chairman, Mr Steve McBride, who is believed to have left the weekend peace meeting in South Africa early to be in City Hall tonight.