The Government is considering excluding Sinn Féin from the political process, Mr Gerry Adams claimed last night. Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor, reports.
Ahead of this evening's meeting in Dublin between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister, Mr Adams said the Government was politicking before the June elections, and of failing in its duty as co-guarantor of the Belfast accord.
Speaking in the context of the exchanges involving the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, and republicans, the Sinn Féin leader said: "In my view the Irish Government is actively considering the exclusion of Sinn Féin from the political process in the North as an option. It is actively considering going back to the old agenda, the failed policies and attitudes of the past."
Referring to the claim and counter-claim involving the Minister and Sinn Féin on alleged paramilitary activity, Mr Adams added: "This, like the current negative politics, the negative campaigning, is wrong. It is destructive, and it betrays an absence of real political debate on the part of the establishment. And it is something that Sinn Féin will not engage in."
Mr Ahern and Mr Tony Blair are due to discuss the North and EU matters at Farmleigh this evening.
Last week the Taoiseach denied the Government's attitude towards republicans had hardened, and claimed that a policy of exclusion would not work. Speaking in Derry last Thursday, Mr Ahern said: "Some parties seem to believe that a policy of exclusion is the answer. It is my belief that any such policy would not be workable."
On the Government's record on the Belfast Agreement, Mr Adams said: "We want to see an end to conflict on our island. We want to see the political institutions reinstituted. We want to see the Good Friday agreement implemented."
He accused the Government of foot-dragging. "Progress requires as an absolute minimum an Irish government fulfilling its role as a co-guarantor of the agreement, defending the rights and entitlement of citizens.
"At this time there is little evidence of this, and there appears to be no real inclination by the Dublin Government to resolve the current difficulties before the elections."
The coalition's "refusal to act on its obligations", he said, "is deeply worrying". "The peace process is more important than any party or any election."
In Downing Street yesterday, the SDLP leader, Mr Mark Durkan, suggested the people of Ireland could not wait forever for paramilitaries to cease activities and clear a path for the political process.
"We don't want the people of Ireland to be frustrated in terms of the Good Friday agreement indefinitely, just because some paramilitaries refuse to recognise the need for them to wrap up their activities once and for all."
London yesterday said edited versions of the Cory reports into killings involving alleged collusion by security forces with paramilitaries would be published by Easter. However, Mr Durkan said Mr Blair must stick to his word and publish Cory in full.