A tale of two photocalls
I strolled down the Stormont steps this morning flanked by two contrasting photocalls. On one side Gerry Adams posed in the sunshine with a group of primary schoolchildren from Derry. On the other Peter Robinson was being snapped together with Margaret Ritchie as part of the promotion of a £3 miilion greenway scheme through East Belfast. But will Messrs Robinson and McGuinness agree to smile and say cheese on Thursday?
The rumours I referred to in my last entry have been the talk of the corridors in Stormont today. Sinn Fein could quash the rumours with a simple on the record denial, but they have declined to do so. By contrast Gerry Adams put out a statement this afternoon saying that commitments on the Irish language and the devolution of justice must be honoured. He said that detailed discussions are underway aimed at resolving these outstanding issues.
If republicans don't put Martin McGuinness's name forward on Thursday they could delay the handover for seven days. If that time expires, we could then be looking at a fresh election. Under the old rules that would have kicked in six weeks after the dissolution of the Assembly. But since the St Andrews Act the date of a fresh election is left at the Secretary of State's discretion.
On the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s "Stormont Live" the DUP chairman Lord Morrow said the DUP wouldn't give in to Sinn Fein brinkmanship and Sinn Fein's Willie Clarke appeared to acknowledge there wasn't any great appetite amongst the public for a summer election.
Moreover if his game of "political chicken" isn't resolved it could disrupt President Bush's visit to Stormont in mid June?
Will it go that far or will the two main parties pull back from that brink? When I chatted to Ian Paisley last week he told me he had no intention of carrying on as First Minister after this Thursday. A special "Stormont Live" is being planned for Thursday (time TBA) when we might see the nomination of a new First and an old Deputy First Minister. Or maybe not....
I'm 
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