SENIOR Sinn Fein politicians were clearly unhappy after their second encounter with British officials at Stormont. Neither side would give any details of the meeting yesterday, although a senior Sinn Fein source said there were serious issues of clarification that needed to be resolved.
Meanwhile, the SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, demanded assurances that the multi party talks which are to resume at Stormont on Tuesday would not again become, bogged down over decommissioning.
Sinn Fein would give no information on whether any progress was made yesterday, bother than to say that the talks were in depth and a wide range of issues had been covered, including the matter of Sinn Fein entering all party negotiations.
The terse response from Sinn Fein to reporters questions was in contrast to the first meeting between the two sides, when Sinn Fein emerged from Stormont to comment positively on the new British government under Mr Tony Blair.
The Sinn Fein chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, who led the delegation, would make no comment on the meeting. It was confirmed, however, that a third meeting is to take place,
Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain, a Monaghan county councillor who is standing for Sinn Fein in the general election, said that the 3 1/2 hours of discussions ranged over issues raised by Sinn Fein at the first meeting with the officials last week.
"We reaffirmed Sinn Fein's right to be treated on the same basis as all the other parties and we have agreed to meet again," he said.
A senior party source indicated that clarification on what date Sinn Fein would enter talks - and how and when a renewed IRA ceasefire would be established as "unequivocal" to allow Sinn Fein entry - was still an issue of serious division between Sinn Fein and the British government.
The source also suggested that Sinn Fein was still concerned that the talks would become "another conference on decommissioning".
This was a matter raised by Mr Mallon when he led an SDLP delegation in talks with the Northern political development minister, Mr Paul Murphy. Mr Mallon said that decommissioning must no longer be a block to talks.
The two governments should deal with disarmament as a paramilitary issue and move the talks on to substantive political matters, he added.
The issue of decommissioning had been advanced as far as possible in the talks which began 12 months ago, and it was now up to the two governments to tackle the issue separate from political matters.
Mr Mallon said the politicians should now apply themselves to the three sets of relationships affecting the two islands. "I believe the talks need to move immediately into real dialogue, as a repeat of the last 12 months would do little for public confidence in the process," he added.
Mr Murphy also met delegations from the Ulster Unionist Party led by Mr David Trimble and the DUP led by the Rev Ian Paisley. He also met the Ulster Democratic Party last night.
