A FAST TRACK for Sinn Fein into all party talks - but with a delay on the start of substantive negotiations - is believed to be a key element in a deal Mr John Hume and the Irish Government hope may salvage the "peace process".
Intensive discussions continued over the weekend in the search for a formula to bridge the gap between Sinn Fein's demand for immediate entry into talks following any second ceasefire and the British government's insistence on a waiting period to test the "unequivocal" nature of such a cessation.
The Irish Times understands that the plan would permit Sinn Fein's entry into a "plenary" session of the multi party talks at Stormont, but that this would be followed by a protracted period of intensive "bilateral" talks involving the two governments and individual parties.
Under the scheme, it seems a period of some months could elapse before the parties would he expected to move together into the substantive "three stranded" negotiations.
However, the British government has insisted that it is not involved in negotiation with Sinn Fein over terms for the party's admission to talks following any new IRA ceasefire. And there are strong signals in Whitehall that the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, is resisting pressure from Mr Hume to define the timetable for Sinn Fein's entry. One British source insisted last night that establishing the "unequivocal" nature of any new ceasefire would "take as long as it takes".
The comment came after reports that the SDLP leader had been acting as the "intermediary" between the British government and Sinn Fein - drafting several versions of a statement setting out ceasefire terms he believes could be mutually acceptable to Mr Major and the IRA Army Council."
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, declined to deny a report in yesterday's Sunday Tribune which stated that negotiations had begun.
Mr Hume said: "I have been saying publicly that I have maintained contact with Gerry Adams with the objective of restoring the ceasefire. You can take it for granted that if I am trying to restore a ceasefire I am keeping both governments fully informed of what I am doing."
Dublin sources remained tight lipped last night, saying that the situation was "very delicate". London, meanwhile, gave a distinctly cool response to the reports. Confirming that Mr Major had met Mr Hume and other party leaders, a Downing Street spokeswoman said that the British position was clear. Nothing had been said in private which they were not prepared to say in public.
The spokeswoman added: "If any ceasefire were declared we have made clear we would need to look very carefully at what was being said and what was happening on the ground. It would obviously take time to establish that any ceasefire was genuinely unequivocal. As we have said many times, after the murderous attacks we have seen there could be no question of the IRA declaring a ceasefire one day and Sinn Fein joining the talks the next."