A BRITISH Minister confirmed yesterday that two crucial requirements must be met before Sinn Fein can participate in all party negotiations - the IRA ceasefire must be restored, and Sinn Fein must "sign up" for the six Mitchell Principles at the out set of the talks.
The Northern Minister for Political Development, Mr Michael Ancram, also asserted that the policy of both the British and Irish governments was that the negotiations would go ahead on June 10th whether or not Sinn Fein is there.
Mr Ancram made it clear that Sinn Fein would not be permitted to attend the opening session if the IRA ceasefire has not been reinstated by then.
His remarks, in an RTE Radio interview, followed the statement by Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams on Saturday that his party would demand its place at the negotiating table. Mr Adams warned that if Sinn Fein was excluded, there could be "no substantive negotiations, no progress and, no agreement which can last".
Mr Ancram said that, following the forthcoming elections, invitations to the negotiations would be issued to all those parties which had secured delegate representation through the elections. Their leaders would be asked to submit names of their talks delegations.
The only people who will not receive invitations are those who do not comply with the criteria set out in the ground rules paper which was produced by the two governments, and that is those who have not accepted the use of exclusively peaceful methods and signed up for democratic principles - or, in the case of Sinn Fein, if a ceasefire has not been restored," Mr Ancram said.
At the beginning of the opening session of negotiations, all those who were going to participate would have to "clearly show their total and absolute commitment to the six Mitchell Principles".
He said this was "because those principles effectively are the principles which indicate we are all part of the democratic process and will accept democratic principles".
After that had been done at outset, two areas of discussion would be necessary one was to address the Mitchell proposals on decommissioning, and the other was to look at a comprehensive agenda and how the negotiations could be taken forward.
He denied the British government was laying down preconditions. Both governments were agreed on the requirements. "Those are not preconditions," he said. "They are just indicating that we have all up for democratic principles in order to take part in the democratic process.
The ground rules paper referred to by Mr Ancram was published on April 16th. It also contains a provision which allows for the withdrawal, during the negotiations, of any party's entitlement to participate, if the party "demonstrably dishonoured its commitment to the principles of democracy and non violence set out in the report of the International Body..."