Northern Ireland Assembly members are to face the first deadline in the plan to restore power-sharing, with the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein expected to indicate their choices for First and Deputy First Ministers next year.
The Assembly will meet at Stormont for the first time since emergency legislation was passed at Westminster this week aimed at restoring devolved government in the province by next March.
Concerns were expressed in Belfast, London and Dublin that a dispute between the parties over policing could result in the DUP refusing to name Rev Ian Paisley as its choice for First Minister next year.
Officials proposed that the leaders of the political parties in the Assembly would be invited to speak on Saturday in the hope that the DUP and Sinn Fein would declare their intention to nominate Mr Paisley and Martin McGuinness as First and Deputy First Ministers if power-sharing returns next March.
"It is real flying by the seat of your pants stuff," one Stormont source said.
"In the run-up to the meeting the parties are still not all that clear about how the DUP and Sinn Fein may indicate their nominees for First and Deputy First Minister.
"There has been no clear line coming from the governments either."
On Thursday, Prime Minister Tony Blair was involved in the behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure the power-sharing plan remained on track.
Both Downing Street and Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern warned Northern Ireland's politicians that if at any stage of the St Andrew's plan for achieving devolution parties failed to meet their obligations London and Dublin would implement their plan B for governing the province.
That would mean increased cross-border co-operation and the prospect of a prolonged period of direct rule.
