The SDLP has chosen the first three nationalists to serve on a board handling police reforms in Northern Ireland.
According to party sources they were South Down MP Mr Eddie McGrady, party chairman Mr Alex Attwood and West Tyrone Assembly member Mr Joe Byrne.
Mr John Hume, in his one of his final decisions as SDLP leader, informed party colleagues of his decision.
The decision to appoint Mr McGrady, who has in recent days been linked to a possible bid for either the leader or deputy leader's roles in November, appears to rule out any move by him for a senior leadership role in the SDLP.
Unionist parties continued to deliberate over whether to take their five seats on the 19-member Policing Board by the British government's deadline of midnight. The Ulster Unionist Party was under increasing pressure to join the SDLP - drawing the Rev Ian Paisley's more hardline Democratic Unionists also on board.
Pro-Belfast Agreement members of the party believe the UUP can influence the pace and way police reforms are done if they join the 19-member body that will also hold the new Police Service of Northern Ireland accountable.
But anti-Agreement members and the DUP have been pressing Mr Trimble to withhold nominations to the board in an attempt to water down changes the British government made to the Policing Act to secure SDLP support.
Ulster Unionist minister Mr Michael McGimpsey at Stormont today repeated the party was "not opposed in principle" to nominating to the board.
With Mr Trimble due to meet Northern Ireland Secretary Dr Reid ahead of tonight's midnight deadline, the South Belfast MLA said the party was engaged in a "number of meetings" to clarify some aspects of the policing plan.
Sinn Féin is refusing to take the two seats it is entitled to on the board because it argues the British government's legislation does not go far enough.
PA