The four main Northern parties are working to agree by Monday the next Northern executive. They hope to decide by then which Assembly members should take the 10 executive departments to inject momentum into last Monday's ground-breaking decision by the Rev Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams to share power by May 8th.
Contact between senior DUP and Sinn Féin figures, which also involved the SDLP and the Ulster Unionist Party, continued during the week so that the prospective executive will be selected five weeks before it is to be formally nominated in the Assembly chamber. Sources from the four parties entitled to take departments yesterday confirmed the efforts to achieve a de facto executive by Monday.
"It's a good idea to have this done early, because it allows preparation work to go on. It shows we are not sitting around and that we are trying to make progress," said a DUP source.
The thrust of progress so far has caused some surprise. It comes after the resignation on Tuesday of DUP MEP Jim Allister, and also of Ballymena councillor Sam Gaston.
There were two more DUP casualties yesterday with the resignation of Ballymena councillor Roy Gillespie, a DUP founding member, and of Audrey Patterson, a member of Ballymoney Council.
However, the DUP is pressing ahead with the other parties with preparations for May 8th.
It was also hoped that DUP leader Dr Paisley and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness would next week, possibly with representatives from the other parties, meet the British chancellor Gordon Brown, to seek additions to the £1 billion financial package already pledged. But diary difficulties for Mr Brown could push this back until after Easter.
Meanwhile, work continues to ensure that devolution on May 8th is executed smoothly. Naming ministers on Monday would not only bring impetus to this process but allow them to be properly briefed in their departments by senior civil servants.
It also conforms with the pledge given by Dr Paisley on Monday that the DUP would "participate fully" with the other parties to prepare for devolution.
Some idea of who will form the executive was also emerging yesterday. Under d'Hondt, the DUP will have four departments, choices 1, 3, 7 and 9, of the 10 ministries. DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson has indicated that for the first choice he will take the department of finance and personnel.
Other main DUP contenders for the remaining three departments include MP Nigel Dodds, Assembly member Arlene Foster, MP Gregory Campbell, and MLAs Ian Paisley jnr and Edwin Poots. Also in the frame is Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson.
At least some of these must lose out, although the problem of keeping senior figures content could be solved by "rotating" the ministries over the four years of the Assembly to allow a greater sharing of the main jobs.
This issue could also be made easier if Dr Paisley retires as first minister during the four years of the Assembly, as is expected. This could create a succession battle between Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds, with the former favourite to win at this stage.
Sinn Féin, with three departments, has choices 2, 6 and 8, as well as a junior department.
Mr Adams is keeping his choices here very tight, but among the possible names are MLAs Caitríona Ruane, John O'Dowd, Mitchel McLaughlin, Martina Anderson and Alex Atwood, and MPs Conor Murphy, Michelle Gildernew and Pat Doherty. Gerry Kelly is expected to be nominated to the Policing Board.
The main UUP contenders for its two departments (choices 4 and 10) are leader and deputy leader respectively Sir Reg Empey and Danny Kennedy.
The SDLP, with choice 5, is expected to nominate South Down MLA Margaret Ritchie.
