Sinn Féin has accused Britain of ignoring the Government's status as a partner in the Belfast Agreement by cancelling elections to the Stormont Assembly, which were due to be held today.
As an estimated 300 Sinn Féin protesters gathered outside the British Embassy in Dublin one of theparty's Dublin TDs, Sean Crowe, handed in a letter of protest stating that the BritishGovernment had no right to override the democratic authority.
Sinn Féin told the British Ambassador: "The Irish Government opposed thecancellation of the elections.
"Indeed, every political party in Ireland opposed it."Only Ulster Unionist party leader David Trimble and the British Governmentsupported this undemocratic action."
The letter said that the cancellation of elections has created a dangerouspolitical vacuum and was a subversion of democracy.
"The process of conflict resolution in Ireland, as elsewhere, is premised onthe creation of a viable political democratic and peaceful alternative to war,"it added.
"In short it is about making politics work."
The letter was handed in as a rally took place bringing to an end a day ofprotests in towns and cities across Ireland.
Protesters burnt a ballot box in a coffin outside the British Embassy.
Mr Crowe said that David Trimble's Ulster Unionist party was the only one inIreland which wanted the cancellation of the elections, which had been due totake place today.
He said: "Now he doesn't want a meeting of his own Unionist Council becauseit is possible they may replace him with someone else, particularly over thecontroversy of the Royal Irish Regiment being disbanded."
Mr Crowe added: "The Irish people wanted to vote in this election and thatwas denied by the British Government.
"It is important now that we up the ante."
He added: "We would like to see the elections possibly next month. We believethere is still a timeframe and the outcome would be no different whether theelection was held now or in the autumn."
PA