The Alliance Party's five Assembly members are coming under intense pressure to redesignate as unionists in order to restore Mr David Trimble as First Minister and help rescue the Belfast Agreement.
The party's ruling executive, after meeting in Belfast late last night, considered a proposal to redesignate which had been floated earlier yesterday evening at a round-table meeting of pro-agreement parties chaired by the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid.
The Alliance leader, Mr David Ford, said after the meeting that before the party could make a final decision on whether to redesignate it needed formal guarantees from the British government that the current voting system for key votes in the Assembly would be amended to a system of weighted majorities.
Dr Reid will today continue his attempts to persuade the Alliance members to redesignate as unionists and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, could also personally intervene to similarly urge the party that this is the only means of saving the Belfast Agreement.
Pro-agreement parties were last night deeply uneasy at the prospect of such redesignation, but there was growing consensus in the Yes camp that it may be the "least worst" alternative necessary to save the agreement.
The Ulster Unionist leader failed by one vote to be elected as First Minister in the Assembly after Ulster Unionist dissidents Mr Peter Weir and Mrs Pauline Armitage refused to support him. The two Assembly members now face expulsion from the UUP.
All nationalists present in the chamber supported the motion, although a small number were absent, including the Sinn FΘin president, Mr Gerry Adams, who is in the United States. A total of 29 unionists voted for the motion to reinstate Mr Trimble, but 30 voted against. This one vote was the decisive factor in the UUP leader losing the vote.
The DUP and other No parties hailed the result as a victory for those opposed to the Belfast Agreement. The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said it was now incumbent on Dr Reid to call fresh elections.
Mr Martin McGuinness, of Sinn FΘin, also said he favoured elections. Later last night, however, after the plenary meeting of the Yes parties with Dr Reid, Sinn FΘin appeared to be suggesting that it could live with the idea of Mr Trimble being elected with the support of Alliance.
The British and Irish governments are desperately anxious to avoid elections. This accounts for the unexpected attempt to persuade Alliance to change political colours.
Dr Reid trenchantly argued that it would be reasonable for the party to adopt such a stance, despite serious misgivings that it would seriously undermine the credibility of the political process.
Dr Reid's defence, which is supported by Mr Trimble and the pro-agreement bloc, is that, since 70 per cent of the Assembly voted for the UUP leader yesterday, it would be unreasonable not to allow the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) a second chance to vote on the issue.
By midnight tonight Dr Reid is faced with deciding whether to temporarily suspend the institutions of the agreement again or to call elections.
The Assembly Speaker, Lord Alderdice, may today provide all 107 MLAs with 48 hours' notice that a second vote to elect a First and Deputy First Minister will take place in Stormont on Monday.
"A resolution can be available in the very near future if we continue to make the progress we have made over the last few hours", Dr Reid said after meeting the pro-agreement parties at Castle Buildings, Stormont. He appeared to indicate that Alliance would support the notion of redesignation. Part of the pay-off for Alliance would be a review of the current voting arrangements.
The No camp of unionism treated this initiative with derision. Mr Robinson said that the British government would do "anything" to try to rescue Mr Trimble.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said last night that it was vital that all the Yes parties stood together. "We must do everything possible to protect the Good Friday agreement. It offers the best future for all of the people of Northern Ireland and these islands generally", he said.
