Sinn Fein warn of 'confidence crisis'

Gerry Adams: Warns against patronising republicans

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has accused the Northern Ireland secretary of state of patronising republicans over the temporary suspension of the devolved institutions.

Speaking at a rally to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike on Sunday, Mr Adams warned against trying to pressure republicans into disarming on unionist or British terms over the next six weeks.

In a hard-hitting speech, he questioned claims by Dr John Reid that a resolution of the political deadlock is within reach.

His comments followed the restoration of devolved government to Northern Ireland, which came after a 24-hour suspension in an attempt to give parties more time to agree a peace package.

"Behind the soft words really what is being opened up is a six or seven-week period in which the British Government and unionists are going to try to put pressure on republicans to move to resolve issues on British Government or unionist terms," he said.

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He said: "I hear a British Government that says a deal is almost within reach," he said.

"Does this mean they're going to pull troops from south Armagh, from south Tyrone, west and north Belfast?

"I hear also the patronising tone that the institutions have been stood down for only one day and now it's OK again. Well, it's not OK again."

Sinn Fein's Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness also warned against pressurising republicans on the arms issue.

He said that the IRA's recent proposal on how it will decommission its weapons may have been jeopardised by the suspension, and by unionist rejection of the offer.

The plan - to put its weapons permanently and verifiably beyond use - had been accepted by General John de Chastelain's international decommissioning body.

However Mr McGuinness said his community's confidence in the institutions had been seriously damaged and could now have implications for the IRA's plan.

John Reid hoped the technicality will buy time for negotiations

Dr Reid said he would be "deeply disappointed if the IRA walked away" from its agreement.

And he insisted there had to be movement on the issue of decommissioning illegal weapons.

Due to the mechanics of the Good Friday Agreement, the 24-hour suspension has given politicians an extra six weeks to negotiate acceptance of an Anglo-Irish deal to beat the latest deadlock.

Dr Reid said he had taken the decision to suspend the assembly reluctantly, after the main parties rejected the peace package on offer.

"This was basically to give more time, to give peace a chance and to buy more time," he said.

The deal on offer covers all of the four outstanding issues threatening the political process - policing, normalisation, the stability of the institutions and disarmament.

Devolved government was suspended for one day

The Irish Foreign Minister, Brian Cowen, called on politicians to use the extra negotiating time productively, and to work together.

He asked them to build on the "substantive" progress which he says has already been made.

They had a "collective responsibility" towards the Agreement, as voters has showed they wanted it, he said.

The latest crisis was brought to a head by the resignation of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble as Northern Ireland first minister, because the IRA had not begun to disarm.