Sinn Féin President Mr Gerry Adams challenged Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid to back his declaration that a breakthrough in the peace process is "tantalisingly close".
He said: "I think the onus is on him now to prove that is the case".
Mr Adams also urged Dr Reid and the British government to move on outstanding issues such as publishing the document setting out how police reform in the North will take place.
"Even to get them to publish the implementation plan becomes a huge task and if they do publish it, it will be presented as some huge breakthrough when what it was a small piece of print in the Weston Park package".
Speculation is growing that the IRA will withdraw its offer made to Gen John de Chastelain.
Furious republicans claim the deadlock in the peace process will not be rescued in the six-week period bought by Dr Reid's temporary suspension of the devolved government at the weekend.
Dr Reid was forced into the move after Mr David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party refused to re-enter government with Sinn Féin despite the IRA agreeing a process to put its weapons beyond use with the general's decommissioning body.
Amid fears that the IRA would now back off from their commitments a leading Sinn Féin figure today said: "It strikes me that it's very unlikely that the IRA would keep their proposition on the table".
The 24-hour suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and institutions gives the parties another six-week period to break the impasse.
But with Mr Trimble holidaying in Austria and Mr Adams flying to Latin America at the start of September that time will be shortened considerably for many of the key figures.
Against this backdrop and amid deep-felt anger at perceived Ulster Unionist preconditions to a settlement, the Sinn Féin source gave a bleak assessment of the chances of resolution. He said: "I don't believe it can be done in six weeks".
The British government said today would be pressing ahead with implementing various elements of the Belfast Agreement during the six-week period. In particular, a report on the implementation of the Patten report on police reform was expected later this week, a spokesman said.
PA