Former first minister David (now Lord) Trimble and his SDLP deputy Séamus Mallon will not be in attendance at the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont today.
Mr Mallon told The Irish Times he had been offered a "ticket" from the SDLP allocation for this morning's proceedings, but he added: "I don't regard that as an invitation." It was also confirmed yesterday that Lord Trimble was not invited.
Mr Mallon, who served as deputy first minister from 1999 to 2001, said he was asked in a "peremptory" way whether he wanted one of the SDLP tickets but he refused. "I feel in the circumstances that David Trimble and myself should have had invitations to go rather than have to scrounge tickets from one of the political parties," he said.
A spokesman for the Ulster Unionist Party said Lord Trimble would not have been able to attend in any case because he was looking after his barge-boat, currently in dry dock in England.
However, a spokesman for the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) said it was "a matter for the parties" who they invited.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Tánaiste Michael McDowell are due to fly to Belfast this morning on the Government jet. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and Attorney General Rory Brady will also be present in the chamber when the new powersharing executive takes office.
Space in the visitors' gallery is severely limited but there will be a wider attendance at a reception afterwards. Former taoisigh Albert Reynolds and John Bruton have been invited to join the Taoiseach's delegation, along with former tánaiste Dick Spring, former foreign minister David Andrews, former minister of state Liz O'Donnell and former adviser on Northern Ireland, Senator Martin Mansergh.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour leader Pat Rabbitte are not on the Taoiseach's list but their spokesmen said they were "not making an issue of it".
A number of Sinn Féin figures from south of the Border who are standing in the general election will be present, including party chairwoman Mary Lou McDonald MEP, Martin Ferris TD, Larry O'Toole (Dublin North-East), Joanne Spain (Dublin Mid-West) and Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North-Central).
A White House delegation will include Senator Edward Kennedy; presidential envoy to Northern Ireland, Paula Dobriansky; US ambassador to Ireland Thomas Foley; US consul general in Belfast Dean Pittman and businessman Richard F Powers III.
Longtime Irish-American supporters of the peace process Bill Flynn, Chuck Feeney and Niall O'Dowd will also be in Stormont.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair will be accompanied by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, with Home Secretary John Reid and chief of staff Jonathan Powell also expected.
Fr Alex Reid is thought to be invited. It is understood that 30 places have been allocated to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.