IF Sinn Fein should change its mind and attend the opening session of the "talking shop" forum it will find itself sitting cheek by jowl with the DUP members.
The provisional arrangements, based on alphabetical, order, have the 17 Sinn Fein seats right beside the block of 24 DUP seats. The DUP members are flanked by the seven Alliance delegates, while the SDLP are on the other side of Sinn Fein.
The 110 member forum, a deliberative assembly only, is being inaugurated in a first floor conference room of the Interpoint Centre in York Street at 2 p.m.
The low ceilinged room, measuring about 100 ft by 30 ft, is to be used as a temporary venue for six weeks, until a purpose built chamber is completed on the third floor.
The room being used today contains very basic facilities rows of free standing, tightly packed office seats, with only the front row having desks. Microphones hang at intervals.
The chairman, Mr John Gorman, is on a slightly raised podium. There are two rows of seats for the press, and a small number of seats at one end are deemed a "public gallery".
The forum's first business will include the formal election of a chairman. Mr Gorman has said he would accept a nomination for the longer term job if one is forthcoming.
Trying out his seat at a preview for the media, he commented "I'm perfectly happy here at the moment. Whether I'll be happy sitting here tomorrow afternoon is another matter."