The speeches from Mr David Trimble and Mr John Taylor at the Ulster Unionist Council meeting in Belfast this morning are seen as crucial to the outcome of the secret ballot on the Mitchell review.
The meeting starts at 10 a.m. in the Waterfront Hall and the result is expected to be known by approximately 1.30 p.m. While most observers agreed it would be a shock if Mr Trimble lost, pro-agreement sources hoped he would secure a wide margin of victory. If Mr Trimble took only 55 per cent of the vote, his win would be derided by opponents, who might then be tempted to challenge his leadership.
Given the seriousness of the issues and the intensity of the campaign by both sides, should Mr Trimble secure 60 per cent or higher it would be claimed as a significant victory by his supporters. Nerves steadied in the Trimble camp yesterday, in the wake of concern earlier in the week that the "No" campaign, which had generally ignored the media in favour of personal canvassing, was beginning to have a serious effect on delegates.
"It may end up better than we feared," senior pro-agreement sources said. Much would depend on events inside the meeting. Mr Trimble was due to speak twice, first for about 15 minutes, to propose the motion calling for acceptance of the Mitchell deal, and later in reply to speakers.
There is a formal list of 12 speakers, six from each side. Mr Taylor is expected to speak from the floor and any views he may express are likely to have a major effect on delegates.
Mr Trimble gave a foretaste of his remarks in a UTV interview last night. He said the Belfast Agreement had strengthened the Union with Britain: "What is now open to us is to have the consent principle, which underpins the Union, written into the constitutional law, not just of the United Kingdom, but of the Republic of Ireland as well."
He denied he had abandoned the "no guns, no government" slogan: "The government is formed on the basis that there will be decommissioning. Decommissioning will follow, as night follows day, or else there will be no government.
"This is a partitionist settlement. Sinn Fein, who were abstentionist republicans, are now buying into a partitionist settlement and that is a considerable strengthening of the position here in Northern Ireland."
Asked if today's vote was a matter of "back me or sack me", Mr Trimble replied: "Don't hype it up." However, Mr Trimble's wife, Daphne, said in an interview with yesterday's Daily Mail: "If the vote goes against him, that would be it for David. We've discussed it absolutely calmly, and we know it would be the end of his political career."
Opponents of the Mitchell review inside the party said the vote was "too close to call".
Moves to establish the new executive are already in preparation and an order paper for next week's proceedings was circulated to Assembly members. A motion in the name of the Alliance leader, Mr Sean Neeson, urges the Assembly to reject last July's resignation by the SDLP's Mr Seamus Mallon from the post of Deputy First Minister (designate).
In a statement, the SDLP "noted" the Alliance motion: "Seamus Mallon has been in communication with party colleagues and will be keeping the situation under review in the light of emerging circumstances."
The move was condemned as a "nonsense" by Mr Nigel Dodds, of the DUP.