The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, is today set to return as Northern Ireland First Minister after the anti-Belfast Agreement wing of unionism failed in legal and procedural attempts to block his re-election.
At least three Alliance Assembly members will today redesignate as unionists to ensure Mr Trimble will have enough cross-community votes in the chamber to allow his reinstatement.
With the additional support of Ms Jane Morrice from the Women's Coalition, who on Friday re-designated as unionist, Mr Trimble should have 31 "unionist" votes against a possible 30 votes for No unionists.
The election can go ahead after the High Court yesterday rejected a DUP application to block the vote for First Minister. The election was to have taken place yesterday but was postponed until this morning because of a procedural ploy adopted by the DUP in the Assembly.
Mr Trimble hoped that today's vote would run smoothly. "We will now proceed to put the administration back on track and give the people of Northern Ireland the accountable democracy that for years they have longed for," he added.
It was clear last night however that hardline Ulster Unionist elements will continue to put pressure on Mr Trimble and try to tie him down to threatening further sanctions against Sinn FΘin if the IRA does not complete decommissioning by February.
The Lagan Valley MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson last night shared a platform with dissident MLA Mr Peter Weir at a meeting of the anti-agreement Union First group. This despite the fact that Mr Weir faces expulsion from the party for voting against Mr Trimble on Friday.
Mr Donaldson, who has just returned from Australia, told Union First that it was evident the "supposed act of decommissioning" had not had the effect of building unionist confidence.
"If the IRA and others fail to make further progress leading to complete disarmament within the clearly defined timescale, which is the end of February 2002, then sanctions will be applied against those who fail to honour their obligations," Mr Donaldson said.
It also emerged last night that Ulster Unionists opposed to the agreement will persist with their efforts to call another meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council to try to compel Mr Trimble to intervene in the decommissioning issue.
