The UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, is insisting the Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, is responsible for the failure last week to reach agreement on cross-Border bodies under the Belfast Agreement.
Mr Trimble, who was in Washington at the weekend, says it was Mr Mallon's insistence on having a seventh cross-Border body that led to the breakdown, according to sources close to the UUP leader. According to Mr Trimble the setting up of only six bodies was agreed in the talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and it was Mr Mallon who introduced a seventh body when he met later with Mr Trimble.
Mr Trimble expects to discuss the breakdown with the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, when they meet here tomorrow at an award ceremony.
But Mr Trimble does not expect President Clinton will have any proposals to solve the present impasse when he meets them at the Averell Harriman awards ceremony. Arrangements are being made, however, to allow Mr Clinton have brief meetings about the Northern Ireland situation with the principal leaders, Mr Trimble, SDLP leader, John Hume and Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams. Mr Trimble and Mr Hume will have to leave the dinner early to fly to Oslo for the Nobel Prize ceremony. A White House spokesman told The Irish Times that President Clinton "will obviously have a message for the leaders that both salutes them rightfully for their courage and the progress that has been made and encourages them to keep working through the difficulties associated with the clarification of the Good Friday accord".
The spokesman said that while the President would "have a chance to inter-act with the leaders in and around the dinner" he did not expect "we will have any specific proposals to pass on".
"From our standpoint, they - the leaders - need to do what they have been doing and stay engaged and work through the issues associated with full implementation of the Good Friday accord."
Mr Trimble will be absent for personal reasons from another award ceremony tonight for Northern Ireland leaders in Boston. The leaders who negotiated the Belfast Agreement will receive the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award at the Kennedy Library. They will travel to Washington tomorrow for the Averell Harriman awards organised by the National Democratic Institute. The awards to the leaders and President Clinton will be presented by former Senator George Mitchell who chaired the Northern Ireland peace talks.
Earlier in the day, the leaders will attend a lunch at the British Embassy.
The Government will be represented at the Boston and Washington award ceremonies by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell.
Tomorrow will also see the swearing in ceremony at the White House of the new US ambassador to Ireland, Mr Mike Sullivan. The swearing-in is to be done by Vice-President Al Gore but as his father died at the weekend it is possible he may have to be replaced.