The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, has stated that last Sunday night's IRA statement was of "unparalleled significance" despite the British and Irish governments' insistence that it did not clarify the organisation's future intentions.
He indicated, however, that the IRA was not in a position to meet the British and Irish governments' demand for "clarity and certainty" that it is ending all paramilitary activity.
As Dublin and London agreed that there should be a few more days of negotiations, Mr Adams appealed to the British and Irish governments and unionists to work with the party in achieving political progress.
He repeated that the statement was substantial. "It is clear and unambiguous. It contains a number of highly significant and positive developments unparalleled in any previous statement from the IRA leadership in this or any other phase of the struggle," he told party members in Newry, Co Down, last night.
"In my view, the importance of this is not lost on the two governments. Why, otherwise, did the two governments publicly commend the army statement as proof of the IRA's desire to make the peace process work? I find it incredible, therefore, that they have not yet acted on the basis of this unprecedented contribution," he added.
But Mr Adams spelled out that the IRA had difficulties amending its statement to meet the dictates of the governments. He said: "So, again we have to ask after 30 years of conflict, and almost a decade of peacemaking, why the huge effort to wring different words out of P. O'Neill? Why not let people use words of their own choice? Actions or lack of actions speak louder than words.
"Does anyone expect to get an IRA statement written on a securocrat's laptop? Does anyone expect that rejectionist unionism, which dismisses republican words as meaningless, will now provide the dictionary for the IRA?
"The IRA also stated its attitude to the issue of arms. The statement is clear about the army's willingness to put arms beyond use.
"So what more do they want? Who is setting the agenda? Are the lessons of conflict resolution lost? Or have those who never learned it back in the ascendancy?"
While Mr Adams insisted he wanted a resolution, the Sinn Féin party chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, stated that there was now little chance of a political breakthrough in the coming days notwithstanding continuing efforts by the British and Irish governments to break the deadlock.
Mr McLaughlin told the BBC's Hearts and Minds programme last night that the prospect of a speedy deal that would lead to the restoration of the Executive and Assembly was "increasingly unlikely". "The trajectory to these negotiations appears to be increasingly downward," added a senior Sinn Féin figure.
While the British and Irish governments broadly believe that the opportunity for agreement is now "more downbeat than upbeat", their officials will maintain low-level contact with the key players, mainly republicans, over the weekend.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, will determine early in the week whether to "park" this process through to the autumn. The governments still insist that the only hope of ending the logjam is through a clearer statement from the IRA of its future intentions.
The governments and republicans last night remained at absolute loggerheads over the value of Sunday night's IRA statement detailing how the organisation would act if the blueprint for restoring devolution were published.
British and Irish sources continue to insist that the wording provided by the IRA does not provide the "clarity and certainty" necessary to demonstrate that it is ending all paramilitary activity.
One senior political source, when told the IRA was prepared to issue its statement, responded, "Let them publish and be damned, because they will be damned if they do."
