THE Fianna Fail leader has said his weekend criticism of the British and Irish governments' performance on the peace process was "entirely warranted".
Speaking last night at a dinner in Dublin to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of his party, Mr Ahern said he believed much work would remain to be done when his party returned to government.
"We will gladly take up in many respects where Albert Reynolds left oil", he assured his audience.
"My recent criticisms of the British government's performance through 1995, and to a lesser extent of the Irish Government, for their lack of vigour in grasping the opportunity to consolidate the peace are entirely warranted.
"Since February 9th I have continually reiterated that there was no justification for the return to violence and I have called on the IRA to restore that ceasefire," Mr Ahern said.
The precise role, function or authority of the proposed forum remained unclear. Nothing, at this stage, should be allowed to prevent the start or progress of all party talks, he said.
Meanwhile, the public faced a clear choice in the next election - stable government or "the continuation of political instability and uncertainty with a divided rainbow coalition", he said.
It was his party's "destiny and duty" to care for the unemployed, the weak, the marginalised and the excluded, he said.