The Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, has insisted that the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, is indispensable to the achievement of permanent peace and devolved government.
Ahead of Saturday's Ulster Unionist Council meeting which could adopt a motion to withdraw from the Executive in the absence of IRA decommissioning, Mr Mandelson appeared to warn against the council issuing deadlines or ultimatums on arms.
"I'm not in the business of throwing out ultimatums and deadlines to anyone," he said yesterday during a visit to the Shankill to examine the impact of the loyalist paramilitary feud on the area.
The British government's expected announcement today that it will implement legislation to fly the Union flag over all government departments on designated days, together with an announcement on criminal justice this week, will bolster Mr Trimble's position. Mr Mandelson said: "There are two essential goals important for both sides, permanent peace and devolved government. David Trimble's leadership of his party remains as indispensable as ever it was to the achievement of these two goals. I think it would be very difficult to maintain the one without the other."
While anti-Belfast Agreement Ulster Unionists say they have the numbers to ensure the passing of a "no guns, no government" motion on Saturday, Mr Trimble has yet to reveal his strategy for the UUC meeting.
He appeared confident yesterday that whatever happens his immediate future and that of the agreement remain secure. He said even those in the No unionist camp who were formulating the decommissioning motion for Saturday wanted devolution to work. The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, would make no comment yesterday on the likelihood of an imminent IRA gesture on arms.
He did predict, however, that the agreement would not "unravel" on Saturday as a result of the UUC meeting. Following the publication of the programme for government yesterday, Mr Adams said Mr Trimble would be able to address his council as "the head of a working administration".
