On a cautious day at Stormont the only activity was a little parliamentary musical chairs, writes Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor
It took the 108 Assembly members three-and-a-half years to return to Parliament Buildings after the still bewildering Stormontgate affair collapsed that first enterprise in October 2002. Now that they were finally back in the corridors of virtual power you might have expected some fireworks. But no, during little over an hour of business the focus was on not doing or saying anything that would wreck a very fragile attempt to get politics back up and working in Northern Ireland.
Nothing of huge practical significance happened, but the event was symbolically important. In they trooped to the Assembly chamber, all 108 MLAs, unionist and nationalist members, and those who say they subscribe to neither tribe.
The chamber was full and there was a reasonable crowd in the gallery. Speaker Eileen Bell of the Alliance Party (but pledging her impartiality) was a little nervous at first, but settled into her role. This was the first time the second Assembly, elected in 2003, convened. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness and their Sinn Féin colleagues were in the frontbench seats that John Hume and Séamus Mallon, now absent, and the SDLP as the then leading nationalist party had occupied.
Ian Paisley was in David Trimble's old first minister's seat. Reg Empey was in the DUP leader's former chair towards the back of the chamber. David Trimble was in the Ulster Unionist backbenches beside Lord Kilclooney, as in the former Strangford MP John Taylor.
Everyone was surprisingly well-behaved. Nobody was rushing to argue that this betokens great hope for the months ahead but at least they weren't shouting at each other.
The speaker read a short letter from Northern Secretary Peter Hain, exhorting MLAs to work together. But he didn't over-egg it because he knew yesterday was about settling in. Ms Bell then spoke of how it was an honour to be appointed speaker and how business could be done through mutual respect between the chair and the members.
That was followed by a minute's silence, observed with proper dignity, for Michael McIlveen, the young Ballymena teenager battered to death last week in a sectarian attack in the Antrim town.
Then the parties registered by alphabetical order, the independents - Tyrone hospital candidate, Dr Kieran Deeny, UK Unionist Party leader Robert McCartney, and Paul Berry, forced out of the DUP because of allegations surrounding his private life - signing in at the end.
It must have taken some nerve for Mr Berry to travel to Stormont. He kept his head down as he passed his former colleagues on his way into the side room to sign the roll, his old DUP comrades in turn offering no eye contact.
Ian Paisley and his deputy Peter Robinson queried how David Ervine could take the Ulster Unionist Party whip in the Assembly while remaining as leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, which is linked to the UVF.
Ms Bell said she was seeking legal advice on this "serious matter" and would probably issue a ruling at this afternoon's sitting. Then she adjourned for the day and after just 65 minutes concluded business in the chamber.
Outside, in the great hall of Parliament Buildings, the row rumbled on over Mr Ervine joining the UUP Assembly grouping. It was a rather academic issue yesterday but should the DUP and Sinn Féin actually do a deal it could be very important.
Based on the 2003 Assembly results and under the d'Hondt mathematical formula for allocating ministerial positions, the DUP would be entitled to four of the 10 ministerial posts in the Executive, while Sinn Féin, the UUP and the SDLP would have two ministries each.
But with Mr Berry losing the DUP whip, the ministries would be shared: three for the DUP (-1), three for Sinn Féin (+1), and two each for the UUP and SDLP. However, if Mr Ervine is allowed take the UUP Assembly whip, the allocation of ministries would further alter to three for the DUP (-1); three for the UUP (+1), and two each for Sinn Féin and the SDLP.
While the division of the ministries is obviously important, it remains something of a distraction at this stage, because if there ever is agreement there could be further MLA musical chairs to bring the balance back to the situation pertaining at the time of the 2003 election results.
For instance Mr Berry could be restored to the bosom of the DUP and Mr Robert McCartney of the UKUP could do a David Ervine and join the DUP Assembly group.
Adopting Mr Ervine was something of a risk for UUP leader Sir Reg Empey. One would expect that there are many within the UUP who would have deep misgivings about being in any way linked to the UVF. Obviously Sir Reg felt that the chance of an extra ministry was worth the risk. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, particularly if the still very active UVF engages in further high-profile murderous feuds.
Next Monday there will be an attempt to elect a powersharing Executive but it won't succeed. This is a six-months project, maybe longer.
The MLAs have until November 24th to transfer this powerless parliament into a real fully functioning Assembly run by Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness. It is a big ask of such diametrically opposed politicians but six months seems a reasonable deadline to determine whether or not an accommodation is possible.
Nothing much happened at Stormont yesterday, but still, it was a start. And that's as much as anyone expected.