Campaigning for the November 26th Assembly election has formally begun with the first Ulster Unionist election broadcast shown by UTV and the BBC last night.
The broadcast was heavily presidential in tone, featuring the party leader speaking in an intensely personal manner.
Mr David Trimble outlined the benefits of the Belfast Agreement in general since 1998 and how, in his view, the standing of unionism had been enhanced outside Northern Ireland.
He spoke without recrimination about the collapse of the heavily choreographed sequence of events last Tuesday at Hillsborough.
He claimed some credit for the tone of statements from republicans last week and reiterated the need for unionists to hear details of what weapons were put beyond use and a timescale for doing so. Mr Trimble also returned to a theme of his party conference address of 10 days ago in which he stressed that he and his party were "Simply British" and were the best choice for voters who saw themselves in the same light.
The Ulster Unionists plan to launch their manifesto on Monday 10th and confirm the selection of 44 candidates in all 18 constituencies..
The SDLP will parade its 36 election candidates at new Belfast offices this morning.
The party's outgoing deputy leader, Ms Bríd Rodgers, has been named as director of elections and the party has also drafted in consultants and advisers from the British and Irish Labour parties as well as the Progressive Democrats.
The party is bullish about its electoral prospects, and remains confident it can offset any losses with gains in other constituencies where poor organisation had hampered it before.
In particular SDLP strategists are looking to pick up seats in the later counts in North Down, Strangford, North and South Antrim and Mid Ulster.
It admits candidates are facing stiff challenges in West Belfast and East Derry.
A senior party source told The Irish Times the campaign will reflect a "changed environment". The SDLP intends to portray itself as the only party which is totally up for the Belfast Agreement in its entirety.
"The handling of what was supposed to be a deal in recent days shows why people need the SDLP there. People write the SDLP off at their peril in this election."
Sinn Féin is planning to announce details of its campaign later this week.
Other parties are also gearing up their campaigns. The Alliance party will unveil its campaign in Belfast on Thursday and release its manifesto in about two weeks time. The party is to field some 21 candidates.
The Women's Coalition is fielding seven candidates and hoping to defend successfully its seats held by Ms Monica McWilliams and Ms Jane Morrice in South Belfast and North Down.
The coalition is to unveil its expanded website later this week and stage its official campaign launch next week.
The Democratic Unionists are expected to mount an aggressive campaign, fiercely critical of the Belfast Agreement and the Ulster Unionists. It will field 40 candidates, many of whom will appear at a rally in Belfast on Thursday. The party's manifesto is expected next week.