The SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, has said he hoped tomorrow's UUP leadership contest would help to "clear the air" and establish a clear direction for unionism.
He suspected Mr David Trimble felt a sense of relief, Mr Mallon added. "It would have been impossible for unionism to continue to go from central council to central council meeting with this unresolved. I would suspect that Saturday will, one way or the other, clear the air. I think that would be in the interests of strengthening unionism in terms of its own party political position and hopefully rid the wider political process of the tensions within unionism."
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said: "Those who meet on Saturday need to reflect that while change can be delayed it cannot be prevented. They need to be reflecting that the only way that change can be stopped is if people, like us, that want change, give up. We need to be very very clear that we are not going to let that happen."
His party colleague, Ms Bairbre de Brun, said republicans wanted to see a UUP leader who was "willing to move forward, who was willing to implement the agreement and who was willing to actively work with others to manage change".