The prospects of Mr David Trimble carrying the argument at the Ulster Unionist Council meeting on Saturday still hung in the balance last night.
This was despite an IRA statement agreeing to a second inspection of its arms dumps and the scheduled arrival of the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, in Northern Ireland today.
The IRA's commitment and Mr Blair's plan to emphasise the benefits of the Belfast Agreement when he visits today have strengthened Mr Trimble's leadership position but the outcome of Saturday's Council meeting still remains in doubt.
In a statement issued to the republican newspaper An Phob lacht, last night, the IRA said it would allow the independent weapons inspectors, the former Finnish President, Mr Martti Ahtisaari and the former ANC general secretary, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, to make a second inspection of its arsenal.
The Provisionals also signalled that new talks with Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body would take place, but only if it believed it would advance the peace process.
Mr Trimble acknowledged last night that the inspection of arms dumps was a confidence-building measure. However, he said it was "a separate process from putting weapons beyond use in a complete and verifiable manner".
The promised weapons inspection and regular re-inspections were to be unconditional. If the IRA wish to build confidence with these they should also allow more dumps to be inspected".
"We call on the republican movement to honour its obligations to put all IRA weapons beyond use in a complete and verifiable manner", he added.
Privately, however, senior pro-agreement unionists said the statement improved Mr Trimble's position for Saturday's Council meeting.
Meanwhile, talks continued between representatives of Mr Trimble and Mr Jeffrey Dondaldson to determine if a compromise motion could be agreed for Saturday's meeting.
Senior allies of Mr Donaldson and Mr Trimble said such a compromise was becoming increasingly unlikely. Sources from the two wings of unionism said each side was determined to force the issue of whether the party adopts a "no guns, no government" motion.
Mr Donaldson and other senior anti-agreement colleagues have written to the 860 Council members setting down a motion for Saturday that the UUP withdraw from the Executive at the end of November. Discussions between the Yes and No camps are expected to continue today.
Supporters of Mr Trimble say he is reluctant to impose deadlines because he believes they would be counter-productive.
Mr Blair is due to meet Mr Trimble, the Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams, and the SDLP Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, today.
Reuters adds: President Clinton welcomed the IRA's decision. "This constitutes an important and timely confidence building measure as part of a process initiated by the IRA aimed at putting its arms completely and verifiably beyond use," he said.
