The Democratic Unionist Party must not be allowed to exercise a veto over the Northern Ireland peace process, Sinn Fein warned today.
The party's president Mr Gerry Adams urged the two governments to push ahead with their commitments in the Belfast Agreement, despite the electoral success of the anti-Agreement DUP last week.
Emerging from a meeting with the Taoiseach in Dublin, Mr Adams said more progress could be made in the wake of the election.
"The DUP have a veto of sorts over the institutions and certainly over the Assembly as opposed to the other all-Ireland institutions," he said.
"But they can have no veto over all of these issues which are within the authority of the two governments."
Mr Adams said both governments had to fulfil promises they made for the progress on policing, demilitarisation and human rights.
"The DUP have to know that they cannot prevent these changes," he said.
"They are very modest rights and entitlements and our very strong advice in discussions with the British government and here again with the Irish Government was the governments need to press ahead.
"Dialogue with the DUP, explore their position, certainly, we'll do the same.
"Continue engaging with unionism across the broadest spectrum but keep going on the issues that the governments are obliged to implement."
PA