Differences between the parties in the Stormont talks came more clearly into focus yesterday with a major divide opening up on the structure of the proposed new Northern assembly.
There was a wide gap also between the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, and the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, on changes to Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
The Ulster Unionist Party held firm to its plan for a loose arrangement of committees to run government departments but with no cabinet or other form of collective authority in overall charge. The SDLP and the Alliance Party, in an unusual display of solidarity, sharply criticised the UUP model. The Alliance leader, Lord Alderdice, was particularly strident, describing Mr Trimble's scheme as "impractical and unreasonable".
Sources said the meeting between the Dublin delegation and the Ulster Unionists saw a "sharp exchange" between Mr Trimble and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell. Ms O'Donnell reiterated the steps Dublin was prepared to take on such issues as the Constitution and the assembly and pressed Mr Trimble to clarify his own position.
However, Ms O'Donnell objected to the tone of Mr Trimble's response, which talks insiders described as "somewhat hectoring", and, according to sources, she "responded in kind".
Sinn Fein has been keeping a comparatively low profile since the current intensive phase of talks began. Sources in the party claimed the UUP was consciously accentuating its hardline policies so that it would only have to make the most minimal concessions in the closing stages.
At present the talks are focusing on different strands in turn, but insiders suggested that next week there might be some trading between the parties with concessions on, say, the assembly issue in Strand One being bartered for gains on North-South structures in Strand Two.
Even UUP sources hinted that imaginative ways around the current difficulties were being explored. Other talks insiders said careful drafting would be required to "square the circle" on such issues as the North-South relationship.
At a press conference, Mr Trimble was critical of recently-revealed draft amendments of Articles 2 and 3. However, Dublin sources claimed these drafts were some weeks old; the wording had evolved since then and might continue to evolve.
Dublin sources said Mr Trimble's difficulties with proposed amendments were not quite clear. The UUP leader wanted all suggestions of a constitutional imperative to unity removed, but it was impossible to give an absolute guarantee of this. "The Government has to make a judgment as to what the public will go for," Dublin sources said.
It was hard to see how the proposed amendments could be seen as threatening to unionists, who were "adopting a highly legalistic approach". While admitting that the Andrews-Trimble encounter was "not the easiest of meetings", the sources said: "What's important is where we are in nine days' time, not where we are today."
The British Prime Minister continued to prompt participants through a series of phone calls. Mr Blair's call to the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, was described by republican sources as brief, but very positive.
Sinn Fein sources complained that the topic of a confidence-building sub-committee was changed from policing to equality issues and charged that this may have been a move to deflect attention from the police issue when an embarrassing report was coming from the United Nations.
Commenting on the process in general, UUP sources said: "The critical point is the meeting between the two prime ministers. Unless Ahern can come up with an acceptable set of draft amendments to Articles 2 and 3 it is difficult to see how progress can be made."
Loyalist contacts said there had been "a hectic round of bilaterals" yesterday and that the talks were getting to the kernel of the process, namely the North-South bodies. They were prepared to tease out the issue with Dublin, but it was vitally important that any structure which emerged should have no political authority.