Republicans and nationalists were "furious" over the failsafe legislation introduced by the British government this week, according to Sinn Fein's chief whip in the Stormont Assembly, Mr Alex Maskey. He said it would be "very foolish politically" for the SDLP to join with unionists to expel Sinn Fein ministers from office.
"We are satisfied that the legislation proposed by Tony Blair is not only outside of the Good Friday agreement but indeed stands the agreement on its head in a number of very important respects," Mr Maskey told reporters in Belfast.
"There are adequate provisions within the agreement and the Act governing the agreement which deals with any default of people's obligations and therefore this legislation is not necessary. It is merely pandering to David Trimble and those other unionists who are intent on blocking the implementation of the agreement."
He said there had been very adverse reaction among republicans and nationalists at how the British government was "pandering to unionism".
"That's particularly against a background where, in recent weeks, both the British and Irish governments have said that our [Sinn Fein's'] contribution was both very positive and very constructive and we are still now witnessing the British government again pandering to unionism which has displayed nothing but total negativism.
"The legislation will provide for suspension and what we are saying at this point in time is that it certainly does facilitate if not encourage expulsion of, presumably, our party because our party is the only party that people are talking about." Sinn Fein's lawyers were scrutinising the Bill.
On the role of the SDLP, Mr Maskey said: "Given the circumstances that we are all experiencing today, it would be very difficult and very foolish politically for any other nationalist party to consider joining with negative unionism to expel another nationalist party. That would first of all be a very serious setback to the Good Friday agreement and the peace process itself, the success of which has been inclusivity." He said "if Sinn Fein has two ministers expelled from that executive then the balance of power will shift towards a unionist majority and people will be very, very unhappy with that development".
"We think that what Tony Blair is doing at the moment is a backward step, it's a backward slide towards the prospects of exclusion."
He complained that the British government had failed to keep Sinn Fein informed of developments: "Over the last number of days we were kept waiting by the British government, hour upon hour, for sight of legislation and for consultation about legislation, none of which we got. They failed to give us a copy of the legislation and, indeed, yesterday at five o'clock they had the audacity to tell us that the legislation was with the printers from 4.30 p.m."
However, he was cautious when asked if Sinn Fein's objections would force it to withdraw support for The Way Forward document. "I don't think anybody should interpret what I am saying as that we will or will not walk away," and Sinn Fein would make a judgment on the legislation after it had been passed all stages.
On speculation about an IRA statement, Mr Maskey said: "What I know is that very shortly the IRA ceasefire will be moving into its third year. Republicans and nationalists in general are furious at this development in the last number of days from a British prime minister. I am not going to get into any idle speculation about whether the IRA will make a statement or not, what I know is that their guns have been silent for almost three years now."