The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has confirmed his support for the Northern Ireland Parades Commission and its decision to reroute the Drumcree Orange parade amid growing concern about a confrontation in Portadown on Sunday.
However, Downing Street confirmed that while Mr Blair was standing by the commission's decision, he would do whatever people felt might be useful to help address the consequences of the ruling not to allow the Orange Order march to go through Garvaghy Road.
Mr Blair said he supported the commission's stance, and was aware that there would have been "consequences" whatever their decision had been.
The Prime Minister is likely to speak to key figures such as the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, in the run-up to the parade on Sunday.
Mr Blair has met the Grand Master of the Orange Order in Co Armagh, Mr William Bingham, who gave him detailed proposals on the march. The proposals were not made public.
The Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, called "for calm and good sense to prevail", but she also reaffirmed her government's "absolute commitment to, and support for, the Parades Commission and the police".
Yesterday. as the new Assembly met at Castle Buildings for its inaugural session, the Ulster Democratic Party, which failed to have any of its candidates elected to the Assembly, urged Dr Mowlam to overturn the restrictions on Sunday's parade. The UDP leader, Mr Gary McMichael, said he believed the loyalist ceasefires were not under threat and that there was no strong desire for disruption and confrontation.
Mr McMichael, whose party is close to the Ulster Defence Association, told Dr Mowlam during an hour-long meeting: "What concerns me is there may be republicans who for example may want to exploit the volatility of the situation."
Unless the RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, requests Dr Mowlam to overturn the Parades Commission's decision on the grounds of public order, the Secretary of State will not intervene. Dr Mowlam is due to submit a report on the Drumcree march to cabinet today.
As the Assembly met yesterday for the first time Orangemen are believed to have been drawing up plans to hold a series of parades and demonstrations throughout Northern Ireland.
Mr Trimble meanwhile hinted that hardline loyalists might keep him away from Sunday's parade.
"I shall be taking advice from local Orangemen as to whether it would be helpful or not and as to whether it would help contribute towards maintaining peace or not," he said.
"I have to consider that, too, because unfortunately elements on the loyalist side, not the Orange side, have uttered threats against me, too."
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Mr Trimble said he was "pained that elements on the Garvaghy Road" were not prepared to do their bit for peace. The problem arose, he said, from violence threatened by those elements.
However, in a statement residents criticised Mr Trimble's comments as "reckless" and "dangerous" and urged the UUP leader to engage in dialogue with them.